Cibrarjp  of  tht  theological  ^emmarjp 

PRINCETON  • NEW  JERSEY 
PRESENTED  BY 

Delavan  L.  Pierson 

R 722  . F72  1919 

Franklin,  James  Henry,  1872- 

Ministers  of  mercy 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/ministersofmercy00fran__0 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Copyright,  by  E.  P.  Dutton  & Co. 
Frontier by  Alice  M.  Pennell. 


From  “ Pennell  of  the  Afghan 


FREDERICK  LEIGHTON  PENNELL 
OF  THE  AFGHAN  FRONTIER. 


THE  ADOPTION  OF  NATIVE  DRESS  WAS  MERELY  AN  INDICATION 

of  dr.  pennell’s  deep  desire  to  make  his  life  blend,  in 

EVERY  POSSIBLE  WAY,  WITH  THAT  OF  THE  COMMON  PEOPLE.” 


MINISTERS  OF 


JAMES  H.  FRANKLIN 


The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be 
ministered  unto , but  to  minister. 


NEW  YORK 

MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  MOVEMENT 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 


COPYRIGHT,  1919,  BY 
MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  MOVEMENT 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 


DEDICATED 

TO 

MANY  MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 

WHO,  IN  THE  FIRST  CENTURY  OF  MEDICAL 
MISSIONS,  WENT  EVEN  TO  THE  UTTERMOST 
PARTS  OF  THE  EARTH  TO  SERVE  SUFFERING 
HUMANITY,  IN  THE  NAME  AND  SPIRIT  OF  THE 

GREAT  PHYSICIAN 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

I 


CHAPTER 

I.  Theodore  Leighton  Pennell 

Early  years  in  England — Education — Ath- 
letics— Among  the  Afghans — Life  at  Bannu — 

His  first  sermon — Establishing  a hospital — 
Among  unfriendly  natives — Touring  the  coun- 
try in  native  dress — Work  of  Dr.  Pennell  and 
his  wife. 

II.  Christine  Iverson  Bennett 31 

Early  work  in  Arabia — Christine  Iverson’s 
early  life  in  Denmark — In  South  Dakota — 
College  life — Studying  medicine — Medical 
missionary  to  Arabia — Her  marriage — Work 
among  the  Arabs — War  work — Turkish  fight- 
ers— “ The  Post  of  Honor.” 

III.  Fred  Douglas  Shepard 53 

Turkey  in  1914 — Boyhood  of  Fred  Douglas 
Shepard — Studying  medicine — Arrival  at  Ain- 
tab— -Hospital  work — Distinguished  pupils — 
Captured  by  Kurds — Mrs.  Shepard’s  work — 
Turkish  war  hospitals — Twenty-five  years’ 
work  at  Aintab. 

IV.  James  Curtis  Hepburn 73 

Early  missionary  work — Opening  Japan’s 
ports — Childhood  and  education  of  James 
Curtis  Hepburn — Work  at  Batavia  and  Singa- 
pore— Return  to  the  United  States — Journey 
to  Japan — Medical  work  and  translation  of  the 
Bible — Honors  conferred. 

V.  Joseph  Plumb  Cochran 93 

His  childhood  in  Persia — Education  in  Buf- 
falo and  New  York — Marriage — Return  to 
Persia — Combating  the  plague — The  work  of 
the  doctor’s  mother — Attack  by  Kurds  on 
Urumia — Sickness — Deep  grief  of  many  pa- 
tients. 

vii 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PACE 

VI.  Catherine  L.  Mabie 123 


Africa  in  Stanley’s  day — Catherine  L.  Mabie’s 
education — She  heeds  the  “call” — Arrival  in 
Congo — Medical  work — Making  the  best  of 
inadequate  equipment — Her  travels — Converts 
— 'Teaching  in  the  Congo  Evangelical  Train- 
ing Institution  at  Kimpesse. 

VII.  Peter  Parker 145 

China  of  long  ago — Peter  Parker’s  family — 
Education — Sailing  for  China — Opening  the 
Ophthalmic  Hospital,  Canton — Founding  the 
Medical  Missionary  Society — Visit  to  Wash- 
ington— Marriage — Return  to  China — Minister 
Plenipotentiary  to  China — An  honored  old 
age. 

VIII.  John  Kenneth  Mackenzie 169 

His  youth  in  Bristol,  England — Early  evan- 
gelical work — Medical  education — Work  in 
Hankow — Perilous  journeys — Marriage — Hos- 
pital work — Attending  Lady  Li — Educating 
Chinese  youths — Chinese  hospitals  to-day — 
Recognition  by  China  of  the  work  of  medical 
missionaries. 

IX.  The  Neves  of  Kashmir 195 

Kashmir  the  Beautiful — Its  early  history  and 
people — Srinagar  the  capital — The  three  Neves 
— Combating  the  cholera — Village  patients — 

Boys  of  the  Mission  School — Explorations — 
Roadside  operations — Leh — A Buddhist  mon- 
astery— Hospital  work. 

X.  John  Scudder  221 

He  hears  and  heeds  a call  to  India — Life  in 
Ceylon — Idolatry  of  the  people — Removal  to 
Madras — Poor  health — Furlough  in  America — 
Return  to  India — Waning  strength — A double 
grief — Founder  of  a great  missionary  family. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Frederick  Leighton  Pennell 


Frontisp 


Dr.  Pennell  beginning  a journey  by  bicycle 
Christine  Iverson  Bennett  .... 

Women  patients  at  the  Lansing  Memorial  Hospital 
Fred  Douglas  Shepard 
A Turkish  Hospital  . 

James  Curtis  Hepburn 
The  Hepburn  Home  at  Kanagawa 
Joseph  Plumb  Cochran 
Dr.  Cochran  and  Kurdish  patients 
Catherine  L.  Mabie  . 

The  “Little  Tin  Hospital’’ 

Peter  Parker 

A Chinese  Hospital  of  To-day 
John  Kenneth  Mackenzie  . 

Li  Hung  Chang  .... 

The  Mar  Canal,  Srinagar  . 

A Houseboat  on  the  Jhelum  River 
John  Scudder  and  his  wife 
The  motor-car  of  Dr.  Ida  S,  Scudder 


lece 
FACING 
22 
31 

40 
S3 
68 
73 
82 


95 

114 

123 

130 

MS 

162 

169 

180 

195 

216 

221 

230 


IX 


FOREWORD 


T T is  not  inappropriate  that,  on  the  one  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  sailing  for  India  of  the  first 
medical  missionary,  we  should  turn  our  thoughts 
toward  the  many  Christian  physicians  who  have 
gone  into  lands  where,  on  account  of  ignorance 
and  superstition,  human  suffering  is  greatest. 

Although  others  with  a knowledge  of  Western 
medicine  had  preceded  him  in  missionary  service,  it 
appears  quite  clear  that  John  Scudder,  who  sailed 
for  India  from  Boston,  June  8,  1819,  was  the  first 
appointee  whose  ability  as  a physician  received  seri- 
ous consideration.  It  seems  quite  certain  that, 
though  other  physicians  had  gone  out  before  Dr. 
Scudder,  not  one  of  them  considered  himself  a 
medical  missionary  nor  used  his  knowledge  of  medi- 
cine except  incidentally,  if  at  all. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  modern  missionary  move- 
ment, many  Christians  believed  that  their  interest 
in  other  races  should  find  its  expression  almost  ex- 
clusively in  the  oral  preaching  of  the  gospel.  Now 
it  is  known  everywhere  that  medical  missionary 
effort  is  one  of  the  most  useful  forms  of  service. 

The  author  has  had  opportunity  to  observe  med- 


XI 


XU 


FOREWORD 


ical  work  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  but  not 
until  he  was  asked  to  read  rather  widely  in  the 
preparation  of  this  small  volume,  did  he  really  ap- 
preciate to  what  an  extent  the  medical  missionary 
has  often  been  a national  figure,  as  well  as  a pioneer 
in  the  establishment  of  medical  schools  in  non- 
Christian  lands.  As  we  face  the  task  of  strengthen- 
ing a sense  of  brotherhood  between  great  continents, 
it  is  evident  that  the  medical  missionary  will  con- 
tinue to  be  one  of  the  most  helpful  and  influential 
forces. 

In  the  face  of  such  a wealth  of  material,  the 
author  would  have  found  it  difficult  to  determine 
which  of  the  many  notable  missionary-physicians 
to  present  in  the  ten  chapters  of  this  book.  Fortu- 
nately, the  characters  were  selected  by  a committee 
of  the  Missionary  Education  Movement. 

It  is  not  possible  to  recite  here  more  than  a few 
details  of  the  life  and  work  of  each  character,  but 
the  small  volume  is  sent  forth  with  the  earnest  hope 
that  it  will  arouse  in  its  readers  a desire  for  a wider 
acquaintance  and  closer  fellowship  with  Ministers 
of  Mercy  in  many  lands. 

James  H.  Franklin. 


BOSTON,  MAY,  I9I9. 


I 

THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL 


I 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL 

npHEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL,  the 
story  of  whose  life  among  the  wild  and 
treacherous  tribes  on  the  Afghan  frontier  is  so  full 
of  incidents  of  hardship  and  peril,  was  reared  under 
the  most  gentle  influences  in  a quiet  old  English 
home  of  fine  traditions.  He  was  born  at  Clifton, 
England,  in  October,  1867.  His  father,  John  Wil- 
son Croker  Pennell,  a physician,  who  had  spent 
some  years  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  died  when  the  lad  was 
but  nine  years  of  age.  The  mother,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Elizabeth  Fanny  Jordan,  was  a great 
student,  and  she  devoted  her  almost  constant  atten- 
tion to  the  education  of  her  son.  On  account  of 
delicate  health,  he  studied  in  private  schools  ex- 
clusively until  he  matriculated,  in  1884,  at  Uni- 
versity College,  London,  where  he  was  graduated, 
in  1886,  with  honors  and  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Science.  The  mother  sought  to  inspire  her  son 
with  an  ideal  of  service  for  others,  and  it  was  her 
hope  that  he  would  feel  called  to  give  his  life  to 
some  form  of  missionary  effort. 


1 


2 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Young  Theodore  Pennell  loved  books,  especially 
books  of  travel  and  adventure.  “ Robinson 
Crusoe  ” was  a favorite.  He  loved  nature,  and  his 
soul  seemed  to  crave  the  wide  spaces  of  field  and  sea 
and  sky.  His  grandfather,  Swinfen  Jordan,  was 
an  enthusiastic  naturalist,  and  the  boy  found  great 
delight  in  helping  him  collect  and  classify  botanical 
and  geological  specimens.  He  was  mentally  alert 
and  showed  an  especial  fondness  for  the  sciences, 
which  made  his  medical  studies  easier  and  more 
agreeable  to  him. 

At  fourteen  years  of  age  Theodore’s  health  im- 
proved rapidly,  and  he  soon  developed  a fondness 
for  outdoor  sports  that  helped  to  fit  him  physically 
for  the  hardships  he  was  to  endure  on  the  borders 
of  Afghanistan,  and  to  qualify  him  to  direct  Af- 
ghan schoolboys  in  their  athletics.  Before  leaving 
England,  he  had  made  himself  useful  in  work  for 
young  men,  organizing  the  Working  Lads’  Institute, 
to  the  welfare  of  whose  members  he  devoted  him- 
self in  many  helpful  ways.  Before  going  forth  as 
a missionary,  he  had  demonstrated  his  ability  to 
serve. 

Despite  his  numerous  interests  and  activities, 
Theodore  proved  himself  an  excellent  student,  and 
in  the  winter  of  1891  he  received  his  degree  of 
doctor  of  medicine,  winning  the  special  distinction 
of  a gold  medal. 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL  3 


After  thus  preparing  himself  for  medical  mis- 
sionary service,  he  placed  himself  unreservedly  at 
the  disposal  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  to 
go  wherever  his  help  seemed  most  urgently  needed. 
He  felt  that  he  himself  should  make  no  special 
choice,  although  he  was  going  at  his  own  expense. 
He  was  sent  to  Northwest  India,  on  the  very  borders 
of  wild  Afghanistan,  where  missionaries  were  not 
permitted  to  enter.  The  fierce  Afghans  (often 
called  Pathans)  who  overflowed  into  India  offered 
a difficult  field  for  missionary  effort. 

When  the  time  came  for  leaving  England,  his 
mother,  whose  greatest  hope  had  been  that  her  only 
living  child  would  become  a foreign  missionary, 
could  not  endure  the  thought  of  permanent  separa- 
tion from  her  son.  It  was  arranged,  therefore,  that 
she  should  accompany  him  (she  also  went  at  her 
own  expense)  and  take  up  her  residence  in  India 
at  the  same  station  with  her  son.  They  sailed  in 
October,  1892,  and  landed  at  Karachi,  the  extreme 
western  point  of  India,  a few  weeks  later.  In  time 
they  were  sent  northward  about  six  hundred  miles 
to  the  Bannu  station  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  about  twenty  miles  from  the  borders  of 
Afghanistan.  Mrs.  Pennell’s  devotion  to  the  cause 
of  missions,  her  intellectual  culture,  and  her  strong 
Christian  character  qualified  her  for  eminent  use- 
fulness among  the  Pathans  of  Northwest  India. 


4 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


The  Afghans,  many  of  whom  claim  racial  descent 
from  the  Israelites,  exhibit  a strange  combination 
of  cruelty,  revenge,  treachery,  vanity,  dishonesty, 
tribal  jealousy,  hospitality,  and  religion.  The  ven- 
detta, or  blood-feud,  is  so  much  a part  of  the  life 
there  that  it  has  been  said,  “ The  Afghans  of  the 
frontier  are  never  at  peace  except  when  they  are 
at  war.”  Across  the  border  from  Bannu,  few  of 
the  Afghans  dared  go  out  of  their  houses  without 
their  rifles  on  their  shoulders,  ready  for  instant 
use,  so  common  were  the  blood-feuds.  Perhaps  no 
passion  is  stronger  with  the  Afghans  than  the  desire 
for  revenge.  Frequently,  because  of  these  blood- 
feuds,  whole  families  are  sometimes  on  the  verge 
of  extermination,  but  those  who  remain  feel  that 
more  murders  must  be  committed  to  uphold  the 
honor  of  the  group. 

In  Dr.  Pennell’s  hospital,  patients  would  occasion- 
ally request  that  they  be  placed  in  wards  whose 
windows  did  not  open  on  a public  road,  lest  some 
enemy  fire  on  them.  On  one  occasion,  a father 
brought  his  son  to  the  hospital,  with  the  boy’s  thigh 
completely  shattered  by  an  enemy’s  bullet.  When 
told  that  amputation  offered  the  only  chance  to  save 
the  boy’s  life,  the  father  refused  to  permit  it;  he  de- 
clared that,  if  his  son  were  to  die  after  the  opera- 
tion, people  would  say  amputation  caused  it,  and 
he  would  thus  forfeit  the  right  to  shoot  th®  m»r- 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL 


5 


derer  of  his  son.  The  unfortunate  sufferer  was 
carried  away  to  die,  so  that  his  father  might  have 
the  right  to  kill  his  son’s  assailant.  One  day  there 
was  brought  to  the  medical  missionary  at  Bannu  a 
man  whose  eyes  had  been  destroyed  by  his  enemies. 
When  told  that  he  would  never  see  again,  he  said 
piteously,  “ Oh,  Sahib,  if  you  can  give  me  some 
sight  long  enough  to  go  and  shoot  my  enemy,  then 
I shall  be  satisfied  to  be  blind  all  the  rest  of  my  life.” 

These  Afghans  were  professedly  religious,  but 
love  and  mercy  were  not  elements  in  their  piety. 
A curious  story  is  told  of  a certain  desperado  and 
freebooter  who  strictly  observed  all  the  ordinances 
of  Mohammedanism.  He  showed  Dr.  Pennell  a 
prayer  that  he  had  composed, — a prayer  in  which 
he  begged  that  his  bullet  might  never  miss  its  mark. 
Before  taking  aim  at  a person  he  would  repeat  that 
petition,  “ In  the  name  of  God,  the  merciful  and 
the  compassionate.”  He  said  the  prayer  was  always 
efficacious. 

While  Dr.  Pennell  was  frequently  thrown  in  the 
company  of  Hindus,  his  chief  work  was  with  the 
Afghans,  who  are  nearly  always  Mohammedans; 
and  those  in  the  vicinity  of  Bannu  were  ever  on  the 
alert  to  oppose  Christianity.  This  opposition  ranged 
all  the  way  from  mere  caviling  to  violent  persecu- 
tion, and  even  to  murder,  as  a sure  way  in  which 
to  secure  entrance  to  Paradise.  In  other  regions, 


6 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


the  Mohammedans  were  more  tolerant,  the  mullahs, 
or  priests,  reading  frequently  in  public  from  the 
Bible  as  well  as  from  the  Koran,  and  speaking  in 
admiration  of  Christ.  But  in  Bannu  a mullah  did 
not  dare  to  be  seen  with  a Bible,  and  the  mere  men- 
tion of  such  doctrines  as  the  sinlessness  of  Christ,  the 
Crucifixion,  or  the  Fatherhood  of  God  was  likely 
to  create  an  uproar.  The  more  fanatical  mullahs 
taught  their  pupils  to  take  the  oath  called  ghaza. 
This  oath  is  to  kill  some  non-Mohammedan,  pref- 
erably a European,  although  any  “ infidel  ” or 
“ blasphemer  ” is  lawful  prey.  The  ghazi  is  taught 
that,  should  he  lose  his  own  life  in  attempting  to 
assassinate  a “ dog  and  a heretic,”  he  goes  at  once 
to  Paradise.  When  intoxicated  with  his  fanati- 
cism, neither  bullet  nor  bayonet  has  terror  for  the 
ghazi,  for  he  walks  a sure  road  to  salvation. 
Among  such  people,  Dr.  Pennell,  in  1893,  took  up 
his  abode. 

Bannu  commands  one  of  the  four  mountain 
passes  used  as  trade  routes  by  the  merchant  car- 
avans from  Afghanistan  and  Central  Asia  into 
British  India.  The  tribes  across  the  border  are 
robbers,  and  they  frequently  invade  British  ter- 
ritory to  pillage  Bannu  and  other  rich  valleys. 
Naturally,  Bannu  became  a sanctuary  for  bandits 
and  outlaws.  In  1847,  a young  English  officer 
visited  the  district,  and  recognizing  the  strategic 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL 


7 


importance  of  a region  commanding  one  of  the 
trade  routes,  he  induced  the  Pathans  thereabouts 
to  assist  in  erecting  the  Fort  of  Edwardesabad,  now 
called  Bannu.  A few  years  later  a British  official 
suggested  the  establishment  of  a Christian  mission 
there,  saying,  “ The  Gospel  of  Peace  will  bear  its 
own  fruit  and  justify  its  name.” 

Dr.  Pennell  acquired  the  language  of  the  region 
with  remarkable  rapidity,  and  as  soon  as  possible 
he  was  preaching  to  the  people.  The  text  of  his 
first  sermon  in  Bannu  was  Matthew  x,  16-22 : “ Be- 
hold, I send  you  forth  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of 
wolves:  be  ye  therefore  wise  as  serpents,  and  harm- 
less as  doves.”  He  had  come  to  establish  medical 
work  at  Bannu,  which  would  have  been  a sufficient 
task,  but  soon  he  was  carrying  the  entire  responsibil- 
ity of  the  evangelistic  and  educational  work. 

When  he  had  been  in  India  a year,  and  at  Bannu 
only  a month,  he  had  two  hundred  and  twenty 
patients  in  a day,  some  of  them  coming  seventy 
miles  to  consult  him.  Perhaps  the  desire  to  avail 
themselves  of  his  medical  skill  was  largely  respon- 
sible for  the  friendly  attitude  of  even  the  mullahs 
in  that  vicinity.  In  time,  his  reputation  for  a desire 
to  serve,  and  a readiness  to  prove  himself  a brother 
to  all  classes,  gave  him  the  respect  of  priests  and 
tribesmen,  not  to  mention  British  officials  in  India. 
Whatever  may  have  been  their  opinion  of  his  doc- 


8 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


trines,  “ it  was  no  longer  an  article  of  creed  to 
avoid  the  ‘ Bannu  Padre  Sahib,’  and  even  the  most 
bigoted  mullahs  were  glad  to  avail  themselves  of 
his  kindly  help.” 

A residence,  of  two  weeks  at  Bannu  convinced 
the  medical  missionary  that,  in  a land  of  such  un- 
sanitary conditions,  a hospital  was  a necessity  for 
the  treatment  of  cases  requiring  careful  nursing; 
and,  with  their  own  private  funds,  he  and  his 
mother  erected  several  wards.  At  this  hospital, 
he  attended  as  many  as  three  hundred  patients  in 
a single  day,  upon  some  of  whom  he  operated. 

The  medical  and  surgical  work  of  the  Pathan 
“ fakirs  ” was  of  the  crudest.  There  were  two 
stock  treatments.  One  was  to  strip  the  patient  to 
the  skin  and  wrap  him  in  the  warm  hide  of  a sheep 
or  goat,  with  the  raw  surface  next  him,  covering 
him  with  several  quilts.  When  successful,  the  re- 
sult was  a profuse  perspiration;  and  sometimes, 
after  two  or  three  days  in  such  unsavory  wrap- 
pings, the  patient  was  found  to  be  free  from  fever. 
Another  method  of  treatment  was  to  roll  a bit  of 
cloth  into  a hard  disc  about  the  size  of  a silver 
quarter  of  a dollar,  soak  it  in  oil,  and  set  it  afire  on 
the  afflicted  part.  For  neuralgia,  the  temples  were 
chosen  for  this  absurd  treatment;  for  headache,  the 
scalp;  for  rheumatism,  the  shoulders.  On  one 
patient  Dr.  Pennell  counted  as  many  as  fifty  scars. 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL 


9 


The  “ Bannu  Padre  Sahib,”  as  they  called  Dr. 
Pennell,  was  not  content  to  treat  only  those  who 
could  come  to  him.  In  emergencies,  he  would 
travel  great  distances,  knowing  that  he  might,  at 
any  moment,  meet  some  fanatical  ghazi  who  desired 
a sure  road  to  Paradise  through  the  murder  of 
an  “ infidel.”  Or,  he  would  journey  for  long  hours 
under  a tropical  sun,  swim  swollen  streams,  sleep 
in  any  mud  hut  available,  and  subsist  on  such  food 
as  could  be  obtained  in  the  Pathan  villages.  Only 
one  of  many  such  instances  can  be  related  here. 

At  Lakki  there  was  an  epidemic  of  sunstroke. 
Dr.  Pennell  left  Bannu  at  eight  o’clock  in  the  even- 
ing. He  was  soaked  to  the  skin  in  a heavy  rain, 
but  he  managed  to  borrow  a horse  and  hurried  on 
through  the  storm.  The  Gambela  River  was  in 
flood,  and  he  was  about  to  swim  it,  when  frantic 
gestures  of  persons  on  the  other  side  dissuaded 
him.  An  hour  later,  he  and  one  of  his  boys  at- 
tempted to  cross.  In  midstream,  the  cartilage  of 
Dr.  Pennell’s  knee  slipped,  and  he  was  unable  to 
use  the  left  leg.  Powerless  to  help  himself,  he 
was  rapidly  being  carried  down-stream.  It  was 
instinctive  with  him  to  pray;  and  on  this  occasion, 
as  he  afterwards  related,  he  asked  that  the  knee 
might  right  itself.  A few  moments  later  it  went 
back  into  place  with  a jerk,  as  he  neared  the  op- 
posite bank.  Since  all  his  clothing  had  been  left 


IO 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  he  was  compelled  to 
avail  himself  of  such  coverings  as  were  offered 
him.  He  walked  through  the  city,  wrapped  in  a 
sheet  until  he  could  secure  clothing.  On  the  way 
back  home,  he  and  his  boys  foraged  for  food.  A 
few  days  later  he  was  off  again,  with  a party  of 
his  schoolboys  and  teachers, — Hindus,  Moham- 
medans, and  Christians, — eating  together  and  shar- 
ing even  their  drinking  vessels.  This  was  a note- 
worthy incident,  although  but  one  of  many,  show- 
ing his  real  sense  of  comradeship  with  those  to 
whom  he  had  come  as  a messenger  of  Christ  to  heal 
and  to  hearten. 

Dr.  Pennell  made  many  overland  journeys, 
teaching  and  healing  as  he  found  opportunity.  The 
hardships  of  such  journeys  would  have  deterred  a 
soul  less  heroic  than  the  “ Bannu  Padre  Sahib.” 
Besides  quicksands,  swollen  rivers,  tropical  sun,  and 
the  unsanitary  condition  of  the  villages  in  which 
they  ate  and  slept,  there  was  usually  the  opposition 
of  the  mullahs  whenever  he  attempted  to  preach. 
Mohammedans  would  interrupt  him  in  his  public 
addresses,  and  sometimes  stones  would  be  hurled 
at  him.  The  mullahs  would  try  to  drive  away  the 
people,  and  if  they  insisted  on  securing  medical 
treatment,  they  were  told  all  manner  of  monstrous 
stories.  On  one  occasion  it  was  said  that  all  sorts 
of  vile  stuff,  such  as  wine  and  swine’s  blood,  were 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL  n 


mixed  with  the  doctor’s  medicines,  which  would 
make  them  Christians  whether  they  wished  to  be 
or  not;  and  that  it  was  better  to  remain  blind  or 
ill  than  to  have  their  faith  polluted.  When  rejected 
in  one  village,  the  doctor  and  his  companions  would 
move  on  to  another,  where  possibly  they  might  be 
hospitably  received  until  the  mullahs  could  create 
further  disturbance.  Nevertheless,  many  sick 
persons  came  for  treatment.  His  records  show 
that,  while  traveling  about,  some  days  he  would 
treat  nearly  two  hundred  patients,  including  per- 
haps a score  of  operations. 

To  a very  remarkable  degree,  Theodore  Pennell 
identified  himself  with  all  classes  of  people.  He 
could  not  tolerate  the  thought  of  living  apart  from 
those  whom  he  would  help,  or  of  ministering  to 
them  at  arm’s  length.  He  desired  to  be  brother 
and  comrade  to  the  most  lowly.  He  ate  the  same 
food  as  the  people  among  whom  he  dwelt,  and  this 
served  to  endear  him  to  them.  And  he  not  only 
ate  of  their  food,  he  has  been  known  to  relieve 
a coolie  of  a heavy  burden,  while  on  a long  journey. 
This  was  a matter  of  astonishment  to  the  coolie,  but 
it  proved  Dr.  Pennell’s  wish  to,  literally,  share  the 
burdens  of  those  among  whom  he  lived.  This, 
perhaps,  was  the  conspicuous  mark  of  his  mission- 
ary career,  and  a rare  gift  it  was.  Few  persons 
have  been  able  to  find  their  way  so  surely  into  the 


12 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


hearts  of  people  of  a different  race;  but  Dr.  Pen- 
nell made  himself  one  of  them,  going  into  their 
homes,  enjoying  their  simple  hospitality,  partaking 
of  their  simple  meals,  bringing  them  happiness, 
and  sharing  their  joys  and  sorrows.  On  his  jour- 
neys, he  made  it  a rule  to  live  on  exactly  the  same 
food  as  the  people  around  him;  indeed,  he  became 
a vegetarian  in  order  to  enjoy  the  privilege  of  eat- 
ing with  the  Hindus. 

Despite  the  treachery  of  many  of  the  people,  he 
moved  among  them  without  fear,  and  his  fearless- 
ness won  their  admiration.  If  he  heard  that  a 
certain  mullah  had  preached  of  his  murder  as  a 
sure  road  to  Pa-radise  for  the  ghazi  committing  the 
deed,  he  started  immediately,  unaccompanied  and 
unarmed,  for  the  home  of  that  mullah.  This 
showed  an  independence  and  intrepidity  that  won 
deep  respect. 

His  free  life  among  them  sometimes  appealed  to 
the  Pathan  sense  of  honor.  Coming  late  at  night 
to  a village  where  numerous  outlaws  resided,  he 
placed  himself  under  the  protection  of  a chief. 
The  chief  took  the  precaution  of  placing  him  in  a 
bed  surrounded  by  six  armed  guards,  where  he 
soon  fell  asleep..  When  some  of  the  more  fanatical 
guards  wished  to  kill  him,  others  said : “ See,  he 
has  trusted  himself  entirely  to  our  protection,  and 
because  he  trusts  us  he  is  sleeping  so  soundly; 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL  13 


therefore,  no  harm  must  be  done  to  him  in  our 
village.” 

Dr.  Pennell  believed  that  European  dress  made 
the  people  more  conscious  that  a foreigner  was  in 
their  midst  and  that  the  matter  of  dress  widened  the 
gulf  between  the  Pathan  and  the  missionary. 
Therefore,  he  went  over  the  country  dressed  as  a 
Waziri,  a Peshawari  Khan,  or  a mullah,  according 
to  the  mission  on  which  he  was  going,  or  the  district 
which  he  was  touring.  He  grew  a beard,  too,  to 
conform  to  custom,  so  that,  in  native  dress,  he 
could  hardly  be  identified  as  a foreigner.  When 
he  went  to  Lahore,  to  be  present  at  the  consecration 
of  Bishop  Lefroy,  the  vergers  in  the  cathedral 
denied  him  admission  to  the  section  reserved  for 
Englishmen.  He  was  permitted  to  sit  in  the  section 
set  apart  for  Indian  Christians.  He  was  glad  of  an 
opportunity  to  share  any  of  the  indignities  so 
thoughtlessly  put  upon  the  people  of  India,  even 
by  those  who  profess  that  “ God  has  made  of  one 
blood  all  nations  of  men ! ” Indeed,  a secondary 
purpose  with  him  in  adopting  native  dress  was  to 
ascertain  what  indignities  were  sometimes  thrust 
upon  the  Pathans  by  officials  and  others.  His  ap- 
pearance was  so  completely  changed  that  he  was 
once  denied  admittance  to  a third-dass  railway 
carriage  labeled  “ For  Europeans,”  by  an  official 
who  refused  to  believe  that  he  was  an  Englishman. 


14 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


He  cheerfully  found  a place  among  the  Indians 
and  sat  Up  all  night.  When  attending  a conference 
at  Mussoorie,  he  was  taken  for  an  Afghan  and  was 
refused  admittance  to  the  institution  and  reading- 
room.  This,  too,  he  accepted  without  protest. 
Once  on  the  train,  when  he  was  addressed  as  a 
Pathan,  and  he  asked  how  he  had  been  recognized, 
the  fellow-traveler  replied,  “ Can  a Pathan  ever  be 
disguised  ? ” 

The  adoption  of  the  native  dress  was  merely  an 
indication  of  his  deep  desire  to  make  his  life  blend 
in  every  possible  way  with  that  of  the  common 
people.  His  close  resemblance  to  a Pathan  gave 
him  an  excellent  opportunity  to  note  the  difference 
between  the  attitude  of  some  foreigners  toward 
other  white  men  and  their  treatment  of  Indians. 
Usually  he  was  accompanied  by  one  or  more  Pathan 
Christians.  In  describing  one  of  his  journeys,  he 
wrote : 

“ How  our  hearts  opened  towards  those  true 
friends  who  received  both  me  and  my  companion 
alike,  and  did  not  start  by  the  suggestion,  ‘ I suppose 
your  friend  would  like  to  be  taken  to  the  house  of 
the  catechist.’  Why,  forsooth?  Many  a time  we 
were  both  the  guests  of  the  humblest  of  our  Indian 
friends,  and  perfectly  happy  in  a sense  of  equality 
with  them.  Others,  too,  of  stations  high  above  our 
own,  received  us  both  with  an  unreserved  hospital- 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL  15 


ity,  in  which  nothing  was  allowed  to  show  that  any 
difference  was  made  between  English  and  Indian, 
and  we  honored  and  loved  them  for  it  Why,  then, 
should  others  be  at  pains  to  show  that  they  had  one 
treatment  for  the  Indian,  or  perhaps  conceal  that 
feeling  so  poorly  that  we  were  never  able  to  feel  at 
ease  with  them  ? Which,  I ask,  was  more  likely  to 
draw  the  Indian  out  and  make  him  feel  there  was  a 
stronger  tie  which  would  overcome  the  pride  of 
race  ? ” 

In  his  own  heart,  he  was  no  respecter  of  persons 
©r  of  races,  and  it  grieved  him  deeply  whenever  he 
found  a missionary  or  a non-missionary  deliberately 
asking  an  Indian  to  take  a subordinate  place  or 
position. 

Dr.  Pennell  was  ever  anxious  to  learn  of  truth 
or  beauty  in  any  religion.  He  believed  that  the 
missionary  could  learn  something  from  those  whom 
he  would  teach.  “ We  do  not  gain  anything,”  he 
wrote,  “ from  a missionary  point  of  view,  and  we 
dishonor  God,  when  we  speak  of  everything  in 
Islam  or  Hinduism  as  evil.  The  Mussulman  has 
given  a witness  to  the  Unity  of  God  and  the  folly 
of  idolatry,  which  has  been  unsurpassed  in  the  re- 
ligious history  of  the  world,  and  he  has  qualities  of 
devotion  and  self-abnegation  which  the  Christian 
Church  may  well  desire  to  enlist  in  her  service 
rather  than  to  ignore  or  decry  . . . Religion  has 


i6 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


been  to  the  Hindus  a pervading  force  which 
has  colored  the  most  commonplace  acts  of  daily 
life.  . . . India,  indeed,  wants  Christ,  but  the 
future  Christianity  of  India  will  not  be  that  Oc- 
cidental form  which  we  have  been  accustomed  to, 
but  something  that  will  have  incorporated  all  the 
best  God-given  qualities  and  capacities  and  thoughts 
of  the  Mohammedans  and  Hindus.”  Dr.  Pennell 
was  indeed  an  apostle  of  Him  who  came  not  to 
destroy  but  to  fulfil. 

Some  further  quotations  from  his  own  writings 
are  of  interest  here.  “ Are  we  desirous  of  planting 
in  India  a Christian  Church  on  the  lines  which  we 
see  developed  in  England  or  America?  If  so,  I 
sincerely  hope  that  we  shall  never  succeed.  Are  we 
desirous  of  binding  on  Eastern  converts  the  same 
burden  of  dogmas  which  has  disrupted  and  still  dis- 
tresses the  Western  Church?  Again,  I sincerely 
hope  not.  Are  we  desirous  of  giving  India  the  life 
and  teaching  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  living 
Him  before  the  people?  . . . India’s  sons  and 
sages  may  not  interpret  everything  as  we  have  done, 
but  may  do  so  in  their  own  mystical  and  transcen- 
dental way.”  He  was  greatly  pleased  when  the  first 
convert  in  his  work,  Jahan  Khan,  went  as  the  first 
Afghan  missionary  and  settled  at  Bahrein  on  the 
Persian  Gulf.  It  was  one  of  his  aims  to  make  the 
Afghan  churches  strongly  missionary.  He  had  dis- 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL  17 


covered  a secret  of  the  growth  of  Mohammedanism. 
Mohammedan  traders  go  far  and  wide,  and  every 
trader  is  a missionary.  He  had  the  joy  of  seeing 
several  Afghans  go  to  Arabia  and  Africa  as  mis- 
sionaries. 

Education  was  soon  recognized  by  Dr.  Pennell  as 
a missionary  agency  of  extraordinary  value,  and  he 
gave  much  of  his  strength  to  the  school  for  boys 
at  Bannu.  He  went  to  India  with  a prejudice 
against  educational  work,  but  he  became  convinced 
“ that  the  hope  of  India  is  in  her  mission  colleges 
and  schools.”  While  the  tone  and  teachings  of  the 
Bannu  school  were  strongly  Christian,  places  were 
set  apart  for  Mohammedans  and  Hindu  students 
who  desired  to  perform  their  devotions,  “ because,” 
said  Dr.  Pennell,  “ it  is  a terrible  thing  to  take  away 
a boy’s  faith,  even  though  it  be  a faith  in  a mistaken 
creed ; and  I think  the  man  who  has  argued  or  ban- 
tered a young  fellow  out  of  his  faith  without  bring- 
ing him  to  a higher  faith,  has  incurred  a grave 
responsibility.”  Like  other  great  missionaries,  Dr. 
Pennell’s  work  was  constructive  rather  than  destruc- 
tive. Many  of  the  pupils  in  the  Bannu  school  were 
boys  from  wild  tribes  or  from  homes  where  the 
hlood-feud  was  strong.  Yet  a society  was  formed 
whose  members  were  pledged  to  render  assistance 
to  the  needy,  sick,  or  maimed.  Their  enthusiasm 
showed  itself  in  kindness  to  cripples,  sitting  up  with 


i8 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


sick  men,  bringing  food  to  the  destitute,  and  other 
equally  practical  forms  of  service.  Boys  who  bad 
been  taught  to  consider  revenge  a sacred  duty  partici- 
pated in  the  “ Good  Samaritan  holidays.” 

Dr.  Pennell’s  experience  in  athletics  in  England 
fitted  him  to  lead  the  boys  at  Bannu  in  their  sports 
and  in  the  conduct  of  tournaments.  The  students 
soon  learned  football  and  cricket.  They  developed 
such  skill  that  he  took  a crack  team  from  Bannu 
on  a long  tour  which  included  games  with  rival 
teams  in  the  principal  educational  centers  of  India. 
This  tour  was  of  great  benefit  to  the  Pathan  lads. 
The  boys  from  the  school  never  forgot  their  prin- 
cipal, and  in  after  years  he  was  constantly  meeting 
appreciative  alumni  of  Bannu  who  wished  to  do  him 
honor.  He  gave  a great  part  of  his  time  to  the  boys, 
realizing  that,  in  the  days  to  come,  they  would  be 
leaders  among  their  own  people ; and  perhaps  noth- 
ing he  did  was  of  greater  ultimate  value  than  his 
personal  efforts  for  the  uplift  and  education  of  these 
young  men. 

Possibly  it  was  his  mother’s  influence  on  his  own 
life  that  led  Dr.  Pennell  to  appreciate  the  importance 
of  work  for  the  Afghan  women.  These  women 
suffer  greatly  because  of  restrictions  placed  on  them 
by  the  false  ideas  of  the  East  regarding  woman’s 
position.  He  saw  clearly  that  the  elevation  of 
woman  is  essential  to  the  regeneration  of  a nation, 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL  19 


and  he  was  making  plans  to  establish  a hospital  for 
them,  when  this,  and  all  other  plans  for  earthly 
service,  were  ended  by  his  death. 

In  March,  1901,  only  twenty-six  converts  were 
reported  at  Bannu.  In  1910  there  were  about  one 
hundred.  Bannu  was  not  a place  for  the  rapid 
growth  of  a church.  The  persecutions  by  the  Mo- 
hammedans terrorized  timid  Christians.  It  was  dif- 
ficult to  induce  Indians  from  other  parts  of  their 
country  to  come  there  as  assistants  in  the  school 
or  hospital.  Fortunately,  Dr.  Pennell  did  not  gauge 
success  by  statistics.  He  felt  it  was  wrong  to  meas- 
ure results  entirely  by  the  number  of  converts,  omit- 
ting the  important  element  of  his  work,  which  was 
the  “ gradual  permeation  of  the  country  with  the 
teachings  and  example  of  Christ/’  He  questioned 
the  wisdom  of  pressing  a new  convert  quickly  into 
church  membership,  thereby  inviting  persecution  be- 
fore being  sufficiently  grounded  in  the  faith  to  with- 
stand persecution,  and  cutting  him  off  from  using 
his  personal  influence  with  a wide  circle.  If,  instead 
of  identifying  himself  with  a foreign  community, 
the  convert  were  exhorted  to  go  home  to  his  friends 
and  tell  them  what  great  things  the  Lord  had  done 
for  him  in  Christ  Jesus,  more  real  good  would  be 
accomplished.  “If  they  do  not  feel  they  can  con- 
sistently join  any  of  our  Western  churches,  and  if 
they  form  a Church  of  India,  are  we  then  to  be 


20 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


disappointed  and  think  we  have  failed  of  our  mis- 
sion? A thousand  times,  no!  Let  us  rather  praise 
God  that,  instead  of  a number  of  hothouse  plants, 
requiring  careful  watering  and  tending  lest  they 
sicken  and  wither,  we  have  a harvest  of  indigenous 
growth,  nurtured  on  the  native  soil  of  India,  and 
ripening  to  a fruitful  maturity  under  its  own  sun, 
and  fed  by  the  natural  showers  of  heaven,  without 
the  aid  of  the  missionaries  of  a foreign  clime.” 

When  cholera  raged,  Dr.  Pennell  and  his  mother 
did  all  they  could  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the  plague 
and  to  help  the  victims.  The  same  was  true  in  their 
fight  against  tuberculosis.  In  view  of  his  labors,  it 
was  not  surprising  that  in  1903  the  Government  of 
India  decorated  him  with  the  Kaisar-i-Hind  Silver 
Medal,  which  is  bestowed  in  recognition  of  public 
service  to  the  country;  and  in  19 11  with  the  Kaisar- 
i-Hind  Gold  Medal.  The  Government  recognized 
medical  missions  as  a pacifying  and  civilizing  force. 
When  Dr.  Pennell  once  pointed  out  to  an  official 
the  need  for  a Government  dispensary  at  a certain 
point,  the  man  replied,  “There  is  no  need  there; 

the  people  are  quiet  and  law-abiding.  Now  A , 

that  is  a disturbed  area ; there  we  ought  to  have  med- 
ical work.” 

In  the  East  the  religious  mendicants,  practising 
the  greatest  austerities  and  self-denials,  as  they  jour- 
ney in  their  ragged  raiment,  usually  afoot  and  al- 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL  21 


ways  dependent  upon  the  charity  of  the  public,  make 
a strong  appeal  as  men  of  piety,  and  contributions 
to  either  the  fakir  [Mohammedan]  or  the  sadhu 
[Hindu]  is  regarded  as  commendable.  Dr.  Pennell 
desired  to  know  more  about  these  men,  who  ap- 
part  of  the  Ganges  where  the  waters  are  supposed 
peared  to  be  the  embodiment  of  the  religious  ideals 
of  the  East.  There  seemed  such  a gulf  between 
him,  in  his  comfortable  home,  and  the  poor  people 
around  him.  The  best  way  to  learn  more  about 
them  seemed  to  be  to  adopt  their  dress  and  customs, 
and  to  travel  with  them  for  a time.  So,  taking  a 
young  Afghan  who  wished  to  go  with  him,  and 
using  bicycles  to  save  time,  he  began  a remarkable 
tour  of  several  months’  duration,  clad  in  a turban, 
ochre-colored  robe,  and  sandals,  and  without  purse 
or  scrip — a Christian  sadhu.  They  were  seldom  in 
actual  want,  for  Hindus,  Mohammedans,  and  Chris- 
tians gave  them  food  and  shelter. 

In  the  great  army  of  mendicants,  which  he  had 
joined  temporarily,  the  Christian  sadhu  found  many 
charlatans  and  immoral  caricatures  of  their  own 
ideals.  He  found,  also,  many  earnest  seekers  after 
truth.  His  wanderings  took  him  to  that  particular 
part  of  the  Ganges  where  the  waters  are  supposed 
to  possess  special  sanctity,  and  where  hordes  of 
pious  Hindus  bring  the  calcined  bones  and  ashes 
of  dead  relatives  to  cast  upon  the  sacred  stream. 
At  Rishikesh,  he  was  given  a place  to  spread  his 


22 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


blankets  on  the  stone  floor  of  a temple  dedicated  to 
Vishnu  and  Lakshmi,  where  sleep  was  disturbed  by 
the  beating  of  tom-toms  and  the  clashing  of  cymbals, 
to  awaken  the  gods  for  their  evening  meal.  He 
had  made  his  own  supper  on  bread  and  pulse  and 
had  given  the  fragments  to  the  temple  cow. 

At  Rishikesh  the  self-made  mendicants  wandered 
around  the  wards  where  dwell  the  imbeciles  who 
sought  “ to  obtain  fusion  with  the  Eternal  Spirit 
by  cultivating  an  ecstatic  vacuity  of  mind.”  When 
streams  were  to  be  crossed,  the  two  travelers  usually 
were  compelled  to  sit  on  the  river-bank  until  some 
one  offered  to  pay  ferry-fare  for  them.  They  ob- 
served fully  the  rules  of  the  real  sadhus,  but  their 
experiences  did  not  influence  Dr.  Pennell  to  adopt 
or  follow  a more  ascetic  life.  Indeed,  he  completed 
his  tour  with  an  increased  appreciation  of  the  prac- 
tical, and  in  response  to  the  inquiry  of  his  heart,  his 
memory  gave  this  answer : 

“ Honest  toil  is  holy  service ; faithful  work  is  praise 
and  prayer, 

They  who  tread  the  path  of  labor,  follow  where  My 
feet  have  trod. 

They  that  work  without  complaining,  do  the  holy 
will  of  God. 

Where  the  many  toil  together,  there  am  I among  my 
own. 

Where  the  tired  workman  sleepeth,  there  am  I with 
him  alone.” 


Copyright,  by  E.  P.  Dutton  & Co.  From  "Pennell  of  the  Afghan  Frontier,'’  by  Alice  M.  Pennell. 

"TAKING  A YOUNG  AFGHAN  WITH  HIM,  AND  USING  BICYCLES  TO  SAVE  TIME,  DR.  PENNELL  BEGAN 
A REMARKABLE  TOUR  OF  SEVERAL  MONTHS’  DURATION,  DRESSED  AS  A RELIGIOUS  MENDICANT.” 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL  23 


Dr.  Pennell  was  reluctant  to  take  vacations,  but 
no  white  man  could  endure  the  hardships  in  India 
which  he  voluntarily  undertook  without  paying  the 
penalty;  and  by  the  spring  of  1908,  fifteen  years 
and  four  months  after  he  and  his  mother  arrived  in 
India,  he  felt  compelled  to  make  a short  visit  to 
England.  Soon  after  reaching  England,  he  heard 
that  his  colleagues  at  Bannu,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Barton, 
had  cholera.  Mrs.  Barton  died  quickly,  and  her 
husband  passed  away  six  months  later.  Then  came 
the  sorrowful  tidings  of  the  death  of  his  own 
mother,  who  had  remained  in  India.  The  news 
brought  great  sorrow  to  the  son  whose  love  for 
his  mother  had  been  peculiarly  tender. 

It  appears  that  he  spent  only  about  four  months 
in  England.  First,  he  visited  relatives  and  friends, 
and  spent  some  days  at  his  old  hospital.  Next,  he 
looked  up  the  men  who  had  been  members  of  the 
Working  Lads’  Club.  Then  came  deputation  work, 
with  more  than  a hundred  addresses,  and  he  spent 
some  time  in  visiting  hospitals,  adding  to  his  medical 
and  surgical  knowledge,  and  investigating  new  med- 
ical methods. 

During  his  furlough,  in  June,  1908,  his  engage- 
ment to  Miss  Alice  M.  Sorabji  was  announced.  At 
that  time  she  was  living  in  Srinagar,  Kashmir.  Dr. 
Pennell  had  always  been  a devoted  son,  but  since 
his  college  days  he  had  never  had  the  companion- 


24 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


ship  of  one  of  his  own  tastes  and  generation.  Miss 
Sorabji  belonged  to  an  Indian  Christian  family.  She 
was  a graduated  physician  and  belonged  to  a notable 
family.  Dr.  Pennell  spent  a week  with  his  fiancee’s 
mother,  who  at  once  gave  him  a son’s  place  in  her 
heart.  She  was  a saintly  woman  and  she  appealed 
to  all  that  was  reverent  and  filial  in  his  nature.  The 
marriage  took  place  in  the  Cathedral  at  Allahabad 
on  October  17,  1908.  The  homeward  journey  for 
the  couple  was  in  the  nature  of  a triumphal  march; 
for,  at  many  points  along  the  route  to  Bannu,  Dr. 
Pennell’s  former  schoolboys  and  others  welcomed 
him  back  to  India  and  rejoiced  at  his  marriage. 
More  than  two  thousand  persons  joined  in  the  pro- 
cession that  escorted  them  into  the  city  of  Bannu. 

The  first  few  days  at  home  were  occupied  with 
receiving  callers.  At  the  first  opportunity  to  visit 
Karak,  the  entire  village  of  five  hundred  persons 
came  out  to  meet  him,  where  in  early  days  he  had 
been  denied  even  a drink  of  water,  and  where  he 
and  his  men  had  been  stoned. 

One  of  the  first  things  to  claim  his  attention  upon 
returning  from  furlough  was  a visit  to  Thai,  the 
frontier  outpost,  where  plans  were  made  for  a hos- 
pital. Large  numbers  came  to  Dr.  Pennell  for  treat- 
ment. The  women  were  especially  glad  for  the  help 
of  Mrs.  Pennell.  It  appeared  that  the  dream  for  the 
expansion  of  the  work  was  about  to  be  realized. 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL  25 


Wherever  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Pennell  traveled,  the  people 
crowded  about  them  for  treatment. 

The  years  from  1908  to  1910  were  spent  much 
as  the  earlier  days  had  been,  except  for  developing 
and  enlarging  the  mission  work  at  Bannu  and  ex- 
tending it  into  unoccupied  territory. 

In  1910,  increasing  weakness  on  the  part  of  Dr. 
Pennell  required  a visit  to  England  for  recuperation. 
Fortunately,  a colleague,  Dr.  Barnett,  had  come 
from  England  to  help  in  the  medical  work,  and  he 
could  keep  the  hospital  open.  The  publication  of  a 
Christian  newspaper,  conducted  by  Dr.  Pennell  for 
some  years,  was  discontinued.  Upon  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Pennell’s  return  from  England,  the  pressure  of  work 
was  severe.  The  “ Bannu  Padre  Sahib  ” was  giving 
himself  in  the  same  unselfish  way  that  he  had  for 
years  past.  “ Never  before  had  there  been  so  much 
work  in  Bannu.”  The  year  1911  told  the  same 
story,  but  time  was  taken  for  a visit  to  the  great 
Durbar  at  Delhi,  where  he  was  greeted  enthusiasti- 
cally by  friends  and  former  pupils,  many  of  whom 
he  would  see  no  more. 

A new  hospital  for  women  had  been  sanctioned  by 
the  Church  Missionary  Society,  and  ground  for  the 
building  was  broken  on  March  6,  1912.  The  three 
doctors  rejoiced  as  they  made  plans  for  a new  build- 
ing for  the  Mission  hospital,  which  had  long  since 
outgrown  the  simple  houses  erected  nearly  twenty 


26 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


years  before  by  Dr.  Pennell  and  his  mother.  A new 
hospital  for  men  was  contemplated,  also.  But  these 
plans  were  not  to  be  carried  out  by  Dr.  Pennell,  for 
on  March  15,  Dr.  Barnett  was  taken  ill  with  a vi- 
olent case  of  septic  poisoning.  On  March  17,  Dr. 
Pennell  operated  on  his  colleague,  and  himself  took 
the  infection.  On  the  afternoon  of  March  20,  Dr. 
Barnett  died,  leaving  a young  wife.  That  evening 
it  was  seen  that  the  end  was  near  for  Dr.  Pennell 
also. 

Death  had  no  terrors  for  that  good  man.  His 
deep  regret  was  that  his  work  seemed  to  him  so 
unfinished.  Jahan  Khan,  his  first  convert,  and 
others  joined  him  in  prayer  by  his  bed,  seeking 
divine  help,  but  at  six  o’clock  on  the  morning  of 
March  23,  1912,  he  passed  into  rest.  When  the 
crowds  surrounding  the  house  knew  that  the  be- 
loved physician  had  left  them,  their  grief  was  in- 
tense. They  wished  to  see  again  the  form  of  him 
who  had  been  their  friend  and  brother. 

“ He  lay  in  his  Pathan  dress,  in  all  the  serenity  of 
death,  while  they  filed  silently  by — Hindus,  Moham- 
medans, rugged  warriors  from  over  the  border, 
women  and  children,  schoolboys,  beggars,  patients; 
the  lame,  the  halt,  and  the  blind ; old  and  young,  foe 
and  friend;  all  united  by  the  common  sorrow  that 
bowed  all  heads  alike.” 

The  wild  spirits  of  the  Afghan  border  were 


THEODORE  LEIGHTON  PENNELL  27 


quieted  by  the  sorrow  that  was  over  their  land.  A 
great  multitude  assembled  at  his  open  grave,  many- 
pressing  forward  to  touch  the  doctor  Sahib’s  coffin. 
They  said  of  him,  and  perhaps  they  say  yet,  “ He  is 
not  dead.  Our  Doctor  Sahib  could  not  die.  He 
lives ! ” 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT 


0 


America. 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT 
OF  ARABIA. 


‘ HER  APPEARANCE  WAS  STRIKING,  WITH 

golden  hair  and  a glow  in  her  cheeks 

SUCH  AS  THE  DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  NORSEME. 
INHERIT.” 


II 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT 

T N the  year  1889,  three  students  in  the  Theo- 
■*-  logical  Seminary  at  New  Brunswick,  New  Jer- 
sey, moved  by  an  irresistible  conviction  that  defi- 
nite effort  should  be  made  to  meet  Islam  in  the 
land  which  had  been  its  cradle,  and  is  even  yet  its 
center,  organized  what  is  now  known  as  the  Arabian 
Mission.  These  young  men  were  James  Cantine, 
Samuel  M.  Zwemer,  and  Philip  T.  Phelps. 

Mr.  Cantine  sailed  a few  months  after  the  organ- 
ization was  effected,  and  lived  for  a time  at  Beirut, 
on  the  Syrian  shore  of  the  Mediterranean,  in  order 
to  study  the  Arabic  language.  In  1890,  Mr.  Zwemer 
joined  Mr.  Cantine,  and  after  a time  the  two 
boarded  a small  steamer  which  sailed  along  the 
southern  coast  of  Arabia,  finding  only  a forbidding 
country  all  the  way  from  Aden  until  they  reached 
Muscat.  Mr.  Zwemer  settled  at  Muscat,  where 
there  were  no  other  missionaries,  while  Mr.  Cantine 
traveled  on  to  Busrah,  at  the  head  of  the  Persian 
Gulf.  Later,  work  was  opened  in  Bahrein,  an 
island  in  the  Persian  Gulf,  and  Kuweit,  a town  at 

~ I 


32 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


the  head  of  the  gulf,  the  plan  being  to  make  the 
east  coast  of  Arabia,  nine  hundred  miles  from  Mus- 
cat to  Busrah,  the  base  line  from  which  to  move 
westward  in  the  occupation  of  the  country. 

In  a short  time  Mr.  Zwemer  joined  Mr.  Cantine 
at  Busrah,  where  they  tried  to  sell  Bibles  to  the 
Moslems.  For  this  offense  Mr.  Cantine  had  been 
imprisoned,  and  later  Turkish  soldiers  were  posted 
at  his  house  to  watch  his  movements.  For  a time  it 
seemed  as  if  little  missionary  work  of  any  sort 
could  be  done  at  Busrah,  among  the  fanatical  Mos- 
lems. Later,  however,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  H.  R.  L. 
Worrall,  both  of  whom  were  physicians,  began 
doing  medical  work,  and  this  helped  to  break  down 
the  opposition  to  the  mission.  After  a time  it  was 
possible  for  the  missionaries  to  open  a Bible  shop, 
on  condition  that  they  would  not  attempt  to  sell 
books  or  preach  in  public  places.  Despite  their  in- 
tense hatred  of  Christians,  and  their  belief  that  the 
murder  of  Christians  would  admit  a Mohammedan 
into  heaven,  the  Moslems  in  Busrah  did  not  doubt 
the  medical  missionary  would  go  to  heaven.  His 
good  works  would  take  him  there  although  he  was 
an  “ infidel.”  It  was  soon  apparent  that,  in  visiting 
cities  or  villages  the  first  time,  it  was  important 
that  the  missionaries  should  have  a medical  member 
of  the  party,  for  the  doctor  was  usually  the  one 
who  succeeded  in  winning  friendly  interest. 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT 


33 


In  1893,  or  about  the  time  when  medical  mis- 
sionary work  was  being  opened  at  Busrah,  a girl 
twelve  years  of  age  left  Denmark  with  her  mother 
and  father  and  brothers  and  sisters,  in  company 
with  other  Scandinavians  seeking  homes  in  Amer- 
ica. This  girl,  one  among  the  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  immigrants  to  the  United  States  that  year, 
was  Christine  Iverson,  who,  a few  years  later,  after 
heroic  and  successful  efforts  to  secure  an  education, 
was  to  sail  for  Arabia  as  a medical  missionary,  and 
to  settle  eventually  at  Busrah. 

In  her  life  on  the  western  plains,  in  her  struggle 
for  an  education,  and  in  her  missionary  career,  she 
was  to  fulfil  the  best  traditions  of  her  Viking  an- 
cestors. This  child  of  the  Northland  was  to  find 
in  the  United  States  a school  of  preparation  for  her 
work  on  the  banks  of  the  Tigris. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Iverson,  whom  their  daughter 
Christine  characterized  as  “ humble,  God-fearing 
parents,”  found  a home  for  themselves  and  their 
children  on  the  wide  plains  of  South  Dakota,  liot 
far  from  a Sioux  Indian  reservation  in  the  south- 
western section  of  the  state.  The  presence  of  the 
Indians  frequently  frightened  the  children,  includ- 
ing Christine,  who  was  truly  a big  sister  in  her 
oversight  of  all  the  others.  In  those  days  there 
was  neither  church  nor  school  which  they  could 
attend.  In  Denmark  the  family  had  been  connected 


34 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


with  the  Lutheran  church,  and  the  children  attended 
a good  day-school. 

The  year  after  the  family  came  to  the  United 
States,  Christine  went  to  the  little  town  of  Cham- 
berlain, South  Dakota,  to  school,  where  there  was 
a Congregational  church,  which  accounts  for  her 
subsequent  denominational  connection.  Concern- 
ing this  period  of  her  life  she  afterwards  wrote: 

“ While  there  I read  a book,  * The  Post  of 
Honor  ’,  a tale  of  missionary  life  in  Madagascar. 
It  made  a great  impression  on  me,  and  I became 
fired  with  the  ambition  to  become  a missionary.  Of 
the  kindness  and  love  shown  me  by  Christian  people 
during  those  first  years  in  a new  land,  I cannot  speak 
too  highly.  God  seemed  very  good,  and  the  desire 
to  give  my  life  in  his  service  grew.  Two  years  later 
we  moved  to  a small  town  near  Yankton,  South 
Dakota,  where  I went  to  school.  I joined  the 
church  at  that  place  and  had  my  first  experience  in 
Christian  Endeavor  work.” 

There  is  a large  measure  of  inspiration  in  the 
story  of  this  young  woman’s  endeavor  to  make  her 
dreams  come  true.  Here  was  a Danish  girl,  in  a 
new  land,  who  read  a book  that  changed  the  course 
of  her  life.  Fifteen  years  later,  when  she  had 
graduated  with  distinction  from  one  of  the  best 
medical  schools  in  America,  in  applying  for  ap- 
pointment for  service  abroad,  she  said,  “ I do  not 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT  35 


forget  that  I owe  my  whole  education  largely  to  the 
purpose,  formed  at  so  early  an  age,  to  become  a 
missionary.” 

Christine  Iverson  entered  the  High  School  at 
Yankton,  working  in  a private  family  for  her  living 
and  making  all  of  her  own  clothes.  Indeed,  after 
she  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  she  probably  never 
possessed  a dress  that  she  did  not  make  with  her 
own  hands,  and  yet  it  is  said  that  the  gowns  which 
she  wore  at  college  were  well  made  and  becoming. 

When  she  had  finished  the  academy  course  and 
one  year  at  Yankton  College,  she  taught  school  for 
two  years  to  earn  money,  that  she  might  begin  the 
study  of  medicine  at  the  University  of  Michigan. 
During  her  first  and  second  vacations  as  a medical 
student,  she  worked  as  a nurse  to  pay  her  expenses 
at  school.  Afterwards  she  served  on  the  staff  of 
one  or  more  members  of  the  medical  faculty  at 
Ann  Arbor,  being  especially  proficient  in  pathology. 
Prominent  teachers  in  the  university  declared  that 
no  brighter  young  woman  had  ever  been  graduated 
from  the  medical  department.  In  recognition  of 
her  scholarship,  she  was  elected  to  membership  in 
the  Phi  Beta  Kappa,  whose  key  she  wore  as  a mis- 
sionary in  Mesopotamia.  For  her  work  as  assistant 
she  was  paid,  besides  receiving  the  benefit  of  a 
scholarship;  but  accumulated  debts  made  it  neces- 
sary for  her  to  earn  money  for  a time  after  her 


36 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


graduation.  She  accepted  the  appointment  of  wo- 
man physician  at  the  Michigan  Asylum  for  the 
Insane,  where  her  work  was  so  successful  that  her 
services  were  desired  permanently;  but  after  two 
years,  having  canceled  all  her  indebtedness,  she 
applied  for  missionary  appointment  to  the  Arabian 
Mission,  an  independent  society  affiliated  with  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Reformed  Dutch 
Church  in  America.  She  was  accepted.  While  a 
student  at  Yankton  she  had  met  a young  woman 
who  was  a missionary  in  Turkey,  and  she  had  heard 
Dr.  Samuel  M.  Zwemer  speak  at  a Student  Volun- 
teer Convention.  Moreover,  a group  of  Christian 
people  in  Denmark,  her  native  land,  were  much  in- 
terested in  missionary  effort  in  Arabia. 

It  was  arranged  that  Dr.  Christine  Iverson  should 
visit  Denmark  on  her  way  to  the  East  and  should 
attempt  to  quicken  still  more  the  interest  of  friends 
there  in  the  land  for  which  she  was  sailing.  Her 
visit  to  that  country  was  a notable  occasion  for 
those  who  were  praying  for  Arabia.  Fifteen  years 
before  she  had  left  Denmark,  a mere  child  in  a 
family  seeking  to  better  its  fortunes  in  that  section 
of  the  United  States  where  the  sturdy  Scandinavi- 
ans were  settling  in  such  large  numbers.  She  had 
gone  back  to  Denmark  an  accomplished  woman. 
Her  friends  say  that  her  appearance  was  striking, 
with  golden  hair  and  a glow  in  her  cheeks  such  as 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT  37 


the  daughters  of  the  Norsemen  inherit.  They  say, 
too,  that  she  was  winsome  in  manner,  and  she 
carried  into  the  East  what  the  people  of  our  own 
country  call  “ the  spirit  of  the  West.”  She  was 
enthusiastically  American,  and  she  loved  the  West 
where  her  busy  girlhood  had  been  passed. 

In  those  Eastern  lands,  where  woman’s  estate  is 
so  deplorable,  it  is  peculiarly  important  that  West- 
ern women  should  go,  as  qualified  physicians,  to 
their  suffering  sisters.  The  homes  of  a land  must  be 
reached  if  the  people  are  to  be  taught  Christianity. 
Nothing  is  plainer  in  mission  strategy.  But  in  some 
lands  the  homes  can  be  entered  by  women  alone,  so 
far  as  missionary  effort  is  concerned.  No  work  in 
non-Christian  countries  is  fundamentally  of  greater 
importance  than  women’s  work  for  women.  For- 
tunately, Dr.  Iverson  was  able  to  gain  quickly  the 
confidence  of  all  classes.  She  was  able,  after  a 
time,  to  go  into  the  homes  of  the  well-to-do,  closely 
veiled  Turkish  women,  who  were  more  advanced 
educationally  than  the  poorer  classes.  In  such 
homes  she  read  the  New  Testament  and  occasion- 
ally had  a Bible  woman  hold  a brief  service.  She 
was  equally  at  home  with  the  peasant  classes.  Many 
afternoons  were  spent  in  villages,  treating  sick  wo- 
men and  distributing  Testaments.  The  intelligent, 
unveiled,  independent  Bedouin  women  from  the 
tent-villages  of  the  desert,  where  their  husbands 


38  MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


owned  herds  of  horses,  camels,  and  sheep,  were  as 
friendly  as  the  women  of  the  city. 

Dr.  Iverson  went  first  to  Bahrein,  expecting  to 
do  medical  work  there  for  women,  where  two  de- 
voted workers,  Mrs.  Worrall  and  Mrs.  Thoms, 
had  labored  successfully.  But  “ best  laid  plans  ” 
sometimes  are  changed,  even  among  missionaries! 
While  Dr.  Iverson  was  studying  the  Arabic  lan- 
guage, in  which  she  became  exceptionally  proficient, 
and  before  she  had  begun  her  medical  work,  she 
became  affianced  to  Dr.  Arthur  Bennett,  then 
completing  his  first  term  of  service  in  Arabia.  She 
had  known  him  during  her  student  days  at  the 
University  of  Michigan.  Upon  Dr.  Bennett’s  re- 
turn from  furlough,  in  September,  1911,  they  were 
married  at  Simla,  in  the  hills  of  India,  and  pro- 
ceeded soon  thereafter  to  Busrah,  where  the  com- 
modious and  modern  Lansing  Memorial  Hospital 
had  just  been  completed.  Permission  for  the  erec- 
tion of  this  hospital  had  been  granted  by  the  Turk- 
ish Government  only  after  Dr.  Bennett  had  made 
the  long  journey  to  Constantinople  and  had  re- 
mained there  for  several  months,  seeking  the  favor 
of  being  allowed  to  minister  to  the  blind  and  sick  in 
a corner  of  the  Sultan’s  domain. 

Busrah,  at  the  head  of  the  Persian  Gulf,  is  a city 
of  60,000  or  70,000  people.  Fully  a million  more 
live  in  the  garden  country  outside  the  city,  which 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT 


39 


is  on  the  Tigris  River.  This  river  receives  the  cur- 
rent of  the  Euphrates  a few  miles  farther  north. 
It  is  the  port  where  the  British  Army,  under  the 
command  of  Sir  Arthur  Barrett,  landed  in  Novem- 
ber, 1914,  for  the  campaign  in  Mesopotamia,  ex- 
pecting to  move  quickly  up  the  Tigris  to  Kut  and 
Bagdad.  The  difficulties  encountered  by  the  Brit- 
ish, including  a temporary  defeat,  are  now  well 
known.  During  the  stirring  days  when  the  Turks 
occupied  the  city,  and  later  when  the  British  were 
pouring  their  soldiers  through  Busrah,  both  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Bennett  rendered  heroic  service. 

The  Lansing  Memorial  Hospital  at  Busrah,  with 
accommodation  for  a hundred  and  fifty  patients, 
was  admirably  adapted  for  the  care  of  both  men 
and  women.  Mrs.  Bennett  took  charge  of  that  part 
of  the  hospital  reserved  for  women,  while  her  hus- 
band gave  his  chief  attention  to  the  men;  but  as 
husband  and  wife,  it  was  possible  for  them  to  give 
their  combined  attention,  in  many  cases,  to  both 
men  and  women.  Moslem  women  in  the  hospital 
would  sometimes  permit  the  husband  of  their  own 
doctor  to  treat  them  in  the  presence  of  his  wife,  but 
often  there  was  objection  to  the  presence  of  any 
man.  In  turn,  the  wife  assisted  her  husband  in 
many  delicate  operations  on  the  patients  who 
crowded  the  men’s  wards.  Usually  an  American 
nurse  was  in  residence  at  the  hospital,  while  two 


40 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Indian  nurses,  trained  at  Vellore,  in  India,  gave 
their  help  almost  exclusively  to  Mrs.  Bennett.  Two 
Arabian  Christians  compounded  the  drugs  pre- 
scribed. Both  doctors  were  wellnigh  overwhelmed 
with  patients.  The  work  for  women  was  so  suc- 
cessful that  frequently  Mrs.  Bennett  gave  more 
treatments  in  a day  than  her  husband;  while  she 
devoted  much  time  to  bacteriological  work  on  which 
she  had  specialized  at  the  University  of  Michigan. 
The  hospital  became  self-supporting  as  soon  as  it 
was  opened,  in  1911.  It  was  the  only  one  within  a 
radius  of  three  hundred  miles. 

While  Mrs.  Bennett’s  professional  skill  attracted 
many  of  the  women,  her  chief  power  was  in  her 
singularly  attractive  personality.  One  of  the  mis- 
sionaries at  Busrah  said,  “ Her  sunny  smile  and 
bright,  ready  speech  made  her  a delightful  com- 
panion to  all  she  met.”  Because  of  her  wit  and 
charm,  she  was  in  demand  socially  within  and  with- 
out the  Mission  circle.  Yet  she  was  an  indefati- 
gable worker,  and  was  never  satisfied  with  slipshod 
effort.  Her  success  as  a physician  was  due  largely 
to  her  requirement  that  everything  should  be  done 
thoroughly.  This  was  a governing  principle  with 
her.  In  her  study  of  the  Arabic  language  she  was 
so  earnest  that,  when  she  finally  acquired  it,  the 
patients  sometimes  said  that  they  could  detect  no 
foreign  accent.  She  liked  the  Arabs,  and  they  in 


LANSING  MEMORIAL  HOSPITAL. 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT 


4i 


turn  liked  her.  She  was  a woman  among  women. 
She  could  mingle  with  the  best  Turkish  and  Arab 
women  and  could  sympathize  with  the  most  lowly. 
No  one  was  ever  turned  away,  however  tired  Mrs. 
Bennett  might  be.  The  wife  of  a sheikh  from  far 
away,  operated  on  in  the  hospital,  called  her 
“ sister  ” and  left  a bracelet  as  an  expression  of 
her  regard.  Poor  women  would  bring  eggs,  a 
basket  of  fruit,  or  a chicken. 

As  is  true  in  most  other  Eastern  lands,  many 
persons  in  Arabia  and  Mesopotamia  suffered  from 
eye  troubles.  Mrs.  Bennett  found  in  this  field  alone 
large  use  for  her  surgical  skill,  and  she  would  per- 
form, unaided,  several  hundred  eye  operations  in 
a year.  Women  sought  advice  from  the  beloved 
woman  physician  concerning  delicate  babies;  others, 
suffering  from  tuberculosis,  were  told  how  to  live 
so  as  to  combat  the  disease  most  successfully. 
Patients  with  diseased  bones,  terrified  at  first  at  the 
suggestion  of  surgery,  were  won  in  time  to  con- 
fidence in  the  skill  and  tenderness  of  the  woman 
doctor.  As  many  as  a hundred  lepers  would  be 
treated  by  the  two  physicians  in  a year,  huts  being 
erected  for  their  use  near  the  hospital  compound. 

The  Arabs  were  always  fighting,  and  the  hospital 
received  a stream  of  men  from  the  desert  suffering 
from  gun-shot  wounds.  It  was  not  uncommon  to 
have  ten  or  fifteen  such  cases  at  the  same  time. 


42 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Twice,  in  epidemic  form,  the  bubonic  plague  visited 
the  region.  In  one  such  epidemic  at  Bahrein  about 
three  thousand  persons  died  from  it.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Bennett  sent  to  India,  at  such  times,  for  a supply  of 
vaccine,  and  vaccinated  all  who  were  willing  to 
accept  the  protection  it  offered. 

Mrs.  Bennett  usually  gave  her  afternoons  to  visit- 
ing in  their  homes  women  who  were  suffering  from 
fever,  tuberculosis,  or  other  troubles.  Sometimes 
she  went  to  homes  in  whose  large  rooms  a profusion 
of  rich  rugs  and  gold-embroidered  pillows  were  a 
part  of  the  Oriental  luxury.  Into  such  places  it 
often  happened  that  only  a woman  visitor  would  be 
admitted.  Sometimes  the  afternoons  were  given 
entirely  to  visits  among  peasants  of  the  adjacent 
country  or  to  the  uninviting  homes  of  the  poor  peo- 
ple of  the  city.  Occasionally,  both  doctors  would 
spend  a few  days  with  the  Bedouins,  the  nomads  of 
the  desert  country,  living  in  their  tents  of  sheep- 
or  goat-skins,  and  traveling  with  their  host  as  the 
Bedouins  followed  their  herds  to  better  grazing- 
lands  or  watering-places. 

Mrs.  Bennett  delighted  in  visits  to  the  desert 
country  in  springtime,  when  the  great  herds  of 
sheep,  camels,  and  horses  grazed  on  the  green  ex- 
panse that  became  brown  and  desolate  by  midsum- 
mer. “ It  reminds  me  of  the  plains  of  Dakota,” 
she  would  say.  Then  there  was  much  in  the  cus- 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT  43 


toms  of  the  sheikhs  of  the  desert  which  helped  her 
to  interpret,  with  clearer  understanding,  the  Bible 
stories  that  furnish  the  historical  background  of 
the  life  of  Jesus.  Were  not  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob  great  sheikhs  in  their  time?  Frequently,  at 
the  close  of  the  day,  the  missionaries  would  see 
half  a dozen  shepherds  leading  large  flocks  to  the 
same  watering-place,  where  the  sheep,  struggling 
to  reach  the  pool  or  stream,  were  soon  mixed  in  one 
vast  herd.  But  at  the  sound  of  each  shepherd’s 
voice,  his  own  sheep  would  separate  themselves 
from  the  others  and  follow  him  to  the  proper  fold. 
At  such  a sight  there  would  come  a new  meaning 
to  the  words  of  the  great  Teacher: 

“ I am  the  good  shepherd ; and  I know  mine  own 
and  mine  own  know  me.  . . . And  other  sheep  I 
have  which  are  not  of  this  fold : Them  also  I must 
bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice ; and  they  shall 
become  one  flock,  one  shepherd.” 

Many  of  the  Bedouins  were  rich,  but  they  did  not 
care  to  leave  the  desert  country  for  life  in  the  cities. 
Wise  men!  One  of  them,  unconsciously  a poet, 
said  to  Dr.  Arthur  Bennett : 

“ You  people  are  creatures  of  circumstance.  You 
ask  why  I do  not  go  to  Bombay.  I have  been  there. 
It  is  better  here  in  the  open,  with  the  stars,  and  with 
my  herds  and  wives  and  children,  free  to  go  as  I 
please,  than  to  live  in  the  crowded  city.  I have  seen 


44 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


your  hotels.  But  did  you  ever  eat  any  better  food 
than  this  juicy  and  sweet  roast  young  lamb,  stuffed 
with  almonds,  limes  and  rice?  Besides,  we  have 
milk  and  butter  and  dates.  In  your  cities  I meet 
men  who  do  not  think  of  inviting  me  to  eat  with 
them.  Here  every  one  who  comes  is  welcome  to  my 
tents,  and  no  Arab  asks  a visitor  to  tell  his  business 
for  three  days.  Here  I see  the  stars  come  and  go.” 
And  the  missionary  confessed  to  himself  that  he 
had  not  only  learned  something  about  hospitality, 
but  he  had  learned  more  from  the  Bedouins  about 
the  heavenly  bodies  than  he  had  found  out  from 
books  on  astronomy. 

The  medical  missionaries  found  some  noble  char- 
acters among  the  Bedouins.  There  was  Sheikh 
Mizal  Pasha,  who  was  so  generous  in  his  impulses 
that  he  was  called  the  “ Father  of  Fatness  ”!  He 
always  responded  to  a cry  of  distress,  and  he  found 
delight  in  making  great  feasts  for  hundreds  of  poor 
people.  On  one  occasion  he  provided  seven  im- 
mense platters,  with  five  roast  sheep  and  bushels 
of  rice  on  each.  His  appearance  was  like  some  of 
the  modern  representations  of  Abraham.  Once  he 
sent  for  Dr.  Arthur  Bennett  to  treat  him  for  a 
month.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  visit  he  gave  the 
missionary  $750.  for  the  medical  work  at  Busrah, 
besides  presents  of  sugar  and  sheep.  Often  such 
men  are  thoroughly  devout  Mohammedans,  and 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT  45 


hold  to  the  doctrine  of  the  saving  efficacy  of  good 
works.  Many  in  that  region  believe,  too,  in  the 
equality  of  all  men  in  the  sight  of  Heaven.  In  the 
eyes  of  the  desert  Arab,  all  men  are  equal  before 
God — servants  and  masters,  peasants  and  princes, 
poor  and  rich.  This  conception  of  spiritual  equality, 
as  held  by  these  desert  men,  finds  impressive  expres- 
sion at  the  sunset  hour  as  the  sheikh,  standing  side 
by  side  with  his  servants  or  slaves,  cries  with  them 
in  stentorian  tones : 

God  is  great!  God  is  great! 

There  is  no  God  but  Allah, 

And  Mohammed  is  his  Prophet! 

In  the  summer  of  1914,  both  doctors  had  been 
called  far  up  the  Tigris,  to  Bagdad,  to  operate  on 
the  daughter  of  Nakib,  the  head  of  Mohammedan- 
ism in  that  city,  a city  which  was  soon  to  be  de- 
fended sternly  by  the  Turkish  troops  against  the 
invading  British  forces.  Nakib  gave  the  two  med- 
ical missionaries  the  use  of  his  beautiful  summer 
home  on  the  banks  of  the  Tigris,  in  the  midst  of 
orchards  of  oranges,  apples,  figs,  grapes,  and  apri- 
cots. It  was  one  of  the  finest  places  in  Bagdad. 
Horses  and  servants  were  provided,  and  a carriage 
was  sent  every  day  to  take  the  physicians  to  their 
patient.  The  operation  proved  to  be  a very  simple 
one. 


46  MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


The  morning  in  July  when  they  left  for  Busrah, 
flags  were  flying  at  half-mast  on  the  public  build- 
ings in  Bagdad.  The  occasion  was  the  assassina- 
tion, in  Servia,  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Austria,  and 
the  telegraphic  reports  indicated  that  a European 
war  was  imminent.  By  the  time  the  two  doctors 
were  settled  again  in  their  hospital  at  Busrah,  the 
Great  War  had  begun,  but  Turkey  remained  neutral 
until  late  autumn.  In  November,  Turkey  entered 
the  conflict,  the  Mohammedan  ecclesiastics  declar- 
ing a holy  war.  The  situation  at  once  became 
serious  for  all  Christians  in  Moslem  lands,  regard- 
less of  their  nationality.  All  British  subjects  left 
Busrah  immediately,  but  in  a few  days  Sir  Percy 
Cox,  British  Political  Agent,  and  Sir  Arthur  Bar- 
rett, commander  of  the  British  military  forces,  were 
reported  as  coming  up  the  Persian  Gulf. 

The  Turks  prepared  for  an  attack.  Immediately 
the  medical  missionaries  offered  their  hospital  for 
the  care  of  the  wounded  Turkish  soldiers,  to  be 
conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  Red  Crescent. 
In  two  or  three  days  the  wounded  began  to  pour  in 
from  the  front,  and  both  doctors  worked  regularly 
until  midnight.  As  yet,  it  was  the  only  hospital 
in  that  region.  The  governor  came  down  to  wit- 
ness the  operations,  and  officers  and  soldiers  showed 
genuine  appreciation  of  what  was  being  done  for 
them. 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT  4 7 


The  more  serious  cases  were  treated  at  the  hos- 
pital, while  those  with  less  dangerous  wounds  were 
sent  to  the  school  buildings  and  churches  of  the 
several  missions  in  Busrah.  Usually  there  were  a 
hundred  badly  wounded  Turkish  soldiers  at  the 
hospital,  and  night  and  day  both  doctors  and  nurses 
were  working  hard. 

On  November  18,  1914,  the  police  ordered  all 
patients  at  the  hospital  who  could  travel  to  prepare 
to  leave  the  city,  and  that  night  the  Turkish  army 
evacuated  Busrah.  On  November  19  and  20,  when 
there  was  no  government  in  the  city,  lawless  forces 
gave  themselves  to  looting.  The  Custom  House 
was  burned  and  vast  quantities  of  stores  were  taken 
from  the  warehouses.  Fortunately  the  hospital, 
with  more  than  a hundred  remaining  Turks  who 
were  seriously  wounded,  was  not  molested.  On 
November  21  the  British  came.  On  Saturday  night 
the  incessant  firing  in  the  streets  by  Bedouins  and 
Arabs  had  stopped  suddenly,  at  the  boom  of  distant 
English  cannon,  and  searchlights  of  the  British 
navy  began  to  brighten  the  sky.  Sunday  morning 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bennett  took  a small  boat  and  went 
down  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  they  offered 
Sir  Arthur  Barrett  the  services  of  the  hospital, 
which  was  still  filled  with  wounded  Turks.  The 
British  Commander  expressed  his  appreciation,  and 
requested  that  the  hospital  continue  to  care  for  the 


48  MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


wounded  Turkish  soldiers,  who  were  made  prison- 
ers of  war.  The  Red  Cross  flag  took  the  place  of 
the  Red  Crescent. 

Throughout  the  year  1915  the  British,  who  were 
attempting  to  reach  Bagdad,  had  hard  fighting. 
The  Turks  were  being  trained  by  German  officers 
and  they  were  not  so  easily  defeated  as  in  other 
days.  Meanwhile,  the  hospital  at  Busrah  was  held 
for  the  care  of  wounded  Turks  whom  the  British 
took  as  prisoners.  As  many  as  one  hundred  and 
forty-three  severely  wounded  men  were  received 
in  one  day.  The  British  sent  several  doctors  and 
nurses  to  assist  in  the  care  of  the  large  number  of 
wounded. 

Until  January,  1916,  only  the  wounded  were  re- 
ceived at  the  hospital,  the  sick  being  cared  for  else- 
where. But  early  that  year  typhoid  and  malaria 
became  common,  and  the  British  asked  the  mission- 
aries to  take  care  of  the  sick,  since  they  knew  the 
language  of  the  soldiers  and  therefore  could  min- 
ister to  them  more  intelligently.  Tents  were  erected 
in  the  hospital  compound  for  seventy  or  eighty 
fever  patients.  Both  the  doctors  and  the  nurses 
were  already  taxed  to  the  limit  of  their  endurance, 
as  were  the  British  assistants  also,  but  they  all  ac- 
cepted the  added  responsibilities  as  long  as  their 
strength  held  out. 

The  fever  patients  from  the  trenches  who  were 


CHRISTINE  IVERSON  BENNETT  49 


sent  to  the  hospital  died  in  numbers.  They  had 
been  sent  there  supposedly  ill  with  typhoid  and 
malaria,  but  the  medical  missionaries  suspected 
typhus,  a vermin-bred  disease,  which  had  not  ap- 
peared until  then  in  Busrah.  Soon  Miss  Holhauser, 
an  American  nurse  at  the  Mission  hospital,  and  two 
Indian  nurses  were  taken  ill  with  what  was  diag- 
nosed as  typhus.  Suddenly  Dr.  Arthur  Bennett, 
weakened  by  his  long  months  of  service  for  the 
wounded  soldiers,  was  taken  ill.  The  British  med- 
ical staff  hastened  to  him  and  quickly  removed  him 
to  a private  ward  in  their  army  hospital,  for  it  was 
evident  that  the  dread  disease  had  seized  the  physi- 
cian. Mrs.  Bennett  was  compelled  to  take  complete 
charge  of  the  Mission  hospital,  with  its  multitude 
of  sick  and  wounded,  and  to  care  for  her  little  son 
Matthew,  three  years  of  age.  But  every  evening 
she  made  the  journey  to  the  army  hospital  and  spent 
the  night  with  her  husband,  who  had  lost  conscious- 
ness. The  strain  was  more  than  her  body  could 
bear,  after  nearly  one  and  a half  years  of  incessant 
labor  for  the  wounded  Turkish  soldiers,  and  she  too 
fell  ill  with  typhus  fever. 

The  British  officers,  mindful  of  the  service  that 
had  been  rendered  by  these  self-forgetting  mission- 
aries who  were  helping  to  win  the  war,  were  careful 
to  see  that  they  received  the  best  attention  which 
could  be  given  in  the  army  hospital.  Early  in  April 


So 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Dr.  Arthur  Bennett  regained  consciousness.  In  his 
weakness  he  wondered  day  by  day  why  his  wife  did 
not  come  to  him.  When  he  was  strong  enough  to 
bear  the  shock,  he  was  told  that,  on  March  21,  in  a 
tent  next  to  his  own,  his  wife  had  fallen  asleep  and 
her  body  had  been  buried  in  the  little  foreign  ceme- 
tery at  Busrah. 

Those  were  turbulent  days  when  Busrah  was 
swept  by  the  tides  of  war,  and  it  seemed  an  age 
since  the  quiet  times,  when  the  woman  doctor  went 
here,  there,  and  everywhere  on  errands  of  mercy; 
but  when  it  was  known  that  their  white  sister  had 
fallen  asleep,  many  women  of  all  classes  voiced 
their  affection  and  sympathy. 

Those  were  the  days  that  were  darkest  for  the 
British  in  their  campaign  in  Mesopotamia;  but  the 
most  notable  persons  in  charge  of  the  expedition 
stopped  their  official  work  long  enough  to  join  the 
mission  body  and  others  in  a funeral  service.  The 
service  was  in  honor  of  the  little  Danish  girl  who 
dreamed  of  doing  work  for  God  and  man;  who, 
without  ever  faltering,  struggled  to  prepare  herself 
for  service;  who  gave  her  life  and  love  with  beauti- 
ful generosity,  and  who  fell  at 


“ The  Post  of  Honor.” 


Ill 

FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 


FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 
OF  TURKEY. 


“ HE  MUST  BE  VERY  RICH,  SINCE  HE  OWNED  A FINE  HORSE,” 
THE  TURKS  AVERRED. 


Ill 


FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 

/~V  NE  of  the  blackest  pages  in  the  history  of  the 
world  is  the  story  of  the  massacre,  soon  after 
the  outbreak  of  the  Great  War,  of  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  Armenians — men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren— and  the  death  from  starvation,  along  the 
roadside,  of  hundreds  of  thousands  more  who  were 
driven  from  their  homes. 

For  thirty  years  Germany  had  courted  Turkey, 
for  the  sake  of  securing  the  latter’s  assistance  in 
the  great  war  that  was  being  planned  with  a view 
to  German  domination  of  the  world.  Did  not  Tur- 
key control  the  Dardanelles?  For  through  the 
Dardanelles  munitions  and  other  supplies  must  be 
sent  into  Russia  by  the  Allies,  except  in  the  warmer 
months,  when  the  waters  within  the  Arctic  circle 
were  navigable.  If  Russia  were  to  receive  supplies 
at  all,  beyond  the  comparatively  meager  amount 
which  could  be  transported  over  the  Trans-Siberian 
railway,  the  supplies  must  pass  through  the  Darda- 
nelles. Was  not  the  Sultan  the  head  of  Moham- 
medanism? And  if  he  could  be  persuaded  to  de- 


53 


54 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


clare  a “ holy  war,”  would  not  millions  of  Moslems 
rise  up  to  smite  the  enemies  of  Islam?  Would  not 
an  uprising  in  India  and  Egypt  so  terrify  Great 
Britain,  and  so  wreck  British  colonial  policies,  as  to 
shatter  the  power  of  the  English?  Would  not  Bri- 
tain quickly  withdraw  from  participation  in  the  war 
if  she  were  threatened  with  such  an  uprising  in  her 
colonies  ? 

Nothing  seemed  clearer  in  German  strategy  than 
the  bold  stroke  which  resulted,  in  November,  1914, 
in  the  proclamation  by  the  Sheikh-ul-Islam,  calling 
on  Mohammedans  everywhere  to  slay  Christians. 
The  proclamation  had  been  worded  so  as  to  exclude 
Germans  and  Austrians,  and  it  was  distributed 
stealthily  in  all  Mohammedan  lands.  But  even  the 
plain  people  asked  why  they  were  commanded  to 
slay  Christians  while  they  were  claiming  Christian 
nations,  Germany  and  Austria,  as  friends,  and  were 
fighting  for  them.  In  consequence,  Germany  failed 
in  her  attempt  to  release  300,000,000  Mohamme- 
dans against  the  Allies. 

Early  in  1915,  a certain  stalwart  American 
journeyed  from  Aintab  to  Constantinople,  fully  five 
hundred  miles,  to  assure  the  Turkish  Government 
of  the  loyalty  of  the  Armenians  in  the  province  of 
Aleppo,  where  atrocities  had  been  committed,  and 
to  intercede  in  their  behalf.  This  American  was 
Dr.  Fred  Douglas  Shepard,  who  for  thirty-two 
years  had  done  much  to  relieve  suffering  among 


FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 


55 


the  Armenians  and  to  exemplify  a gospel  of  love. 
Many  persons  had  come  almost  to  worship  him. 
He  knew  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  Aleppo  Prov- 
ince and  was  able  to  assure  the  Turkish  Govern- 
ment of  their  loyalty  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war, 
but  his  efforts  were  of  no  avail.  The  atrocities  con- 
tinued. Meanwhile,  Dr.  Shepard  remained  near 
Constantinople,  taking  charge  of  the  Red  Cross 
Division  of  the  hospital  at  Tash  Kishla,  where 
streams  of  wounded  Turkish  soldiers  from  Gallipoli 
were  treated. 

What  had  been  the  upbringing  and  the  training 
of  a man  who  could  take  so  highminded  a view  of 
duty?  His  early  life  seems  like  that  of  many  other 
sturdy  young  Americans. 

Fred  Douglas  Shepard  was  born  in  the  little  town 
of  EMenburgh,  New  York,  close  to  the  Adiron- 
dacks.  While  still  very  young,  his  family  moved 
to  Malone,  New  York,  some  twenty-five  miles 
westward;  and  here  his  youth  was  spent.  He 
always  loved  the  woods  and  the  mountains,  and 
while  still  a boy,  he  made  close  friends  of  two  fa- 
mous hunters  with  whom  he  delighted  to  go  into  the 
wilds..  When  he  was  a young  man,  he  enjoyed 
camping  alone  in  the  mountains  for  two  or  three 
weeks  at  a time.  This  love  for  the  out-of-doors 
remained  with  him  throughout  his  life,  and  in  Tur- 
key, when  the  sick  people  entreated  help  until  hand 


56 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


and  head  were  unsteady,  he  found  relief  by  going 
for  a day  to  the  streams  and  hills,  with  his  rod 
and  gun,  which  he  had  learned  to  use  so  well  in 
boyhood. 

His  father  died  when  the  lad  was  thirteen  years  of 
age,  and  a large  part  of  the  responsibility  for  the 
family  fell  on  his  young  shoulders,  since  his  mother 
was  an  invalid  and  his  brother  was  in  poor  health. 
The  two  sisters  could  do  but  little  to  help.  His 
father,  a lumberman,  had  been  defrauded  by  a part- 
ner in  the  business  of  a saw-mill.  The  consequent 
poverty  of  the  family  made  it  necessary  for  Fred 
to  work  at  his  uncle’s  grist-mill,  but  he  managed 
to  secure  considerable  schooling,  and  in  time  he  en- 
tered Cornell  University  where  he  “ worked  his 
way  ” for  two  years.  Part  of  his  expenses  he 
earned  by  harvesting  apples.  When  he  decided  to 
study  medicine,  he  went  to  the  University  of  Mich- 
igan, dependent  still  upon  his  own  effort.  During 
his  first  summer  there,  he  worked  as  a carpenter  on 
a new  building.  Another  summer  he  worked  on  a 
farm  near  Ann  Arbor.  The  old  farmer  looked  down 
on  the  young  man,  who  was  only  five  feet  and  four 
inches  in  stature,  and  asked,  “What  can  you  do?  ” 
Young  Shepard  replied,  “ If  in  two  weeks  any  man 
working  for  you  can  do  more  than  I,  do  not  pay 
me  anything.”  Though  small,  he  was  physically 
powerful,  and  in  later  years  he  often  surprised  the 


FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 


57 


people  of  Turkey  with  his  strength.  He  could  pick 
up  almost  any  patient  in  his  hospital  and  carry  him 
from  the  operating-table  to  a ward,  a useful  feat 
where  assistants  were  not  numerous. 

Upon  graduation  from  the  medical  school  of  the 
University  of  Michigan,  he  gave  a year  to  the  spe- 
cial study  of  the  eye,  under  Dr.  Herman  Knapp, 
to  whose  memory  the  Knapp  Memorial  Hospital 
in  New  York  City  is  dedicated.  Although  he  had 
joined  the  Baptist  church  in  Malone,  when  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age,  he  was  appointed  to  foreign 
mission  service  by  the  American  Board  of  Com- 
missioners for  Foreign  Missions.  Before  sailing 
for  Turkey,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Fanny  Perkins 
Andrews,  whose  parents  had  been  missionaries  in 
the  Sandwich  Islands.  The  two  had  met  in  the 
medical  school  at  Ann  Arbor.  The  marriage  proved 
to  be  an  exceedingly  happy  one  in  every  respect, 
for  both  were  physicians  and  both  were  real  mis- 
sionaries. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Shepard  sailed  for  Turkey  in  1882, 
and  landed  at  Alexandretta.  About  one  hundred 
miles  northeast  was  the  city  of  Aintab,  where  the 
Azariah  Smith  Memorial  Hospital  was  already  es- 
tablished, and  there  the  new  appointees  were  to 
assist  in  the  medical  department  of  Central  Turkey 
College.  But  they  were  destined  to  give  the  greater 
part  of  their  time  to  direct  medical  work  in  the  hos- 


58 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


pital,  which  was  the  only  institution  of  its  kind 
within  an  area  twice  as  large  as  New  England. 

The  two  doctors  found  multitudes  of  sick  persons 
awaiting  their  help,  suffering  from  all  manner  of 
diseases.  Eye  troubles  were  very  common,  and  the 
special  training  under  Dr.  Knapp  proved  of  great 
value  to  Dr.  Shepard,  immediately  upon  reaching 
the  field  of  his  labors.  He  reserved  the  hospital 
almost  exclusively  for  surgical  cases,  but  he  treated 
whatever  came  along.  At  first  the  Mohammedans 
said  Dr.  Shepard  had  come  to  Turkey  because  he 
could  earn  more  money  there  than  in  America ; that 
he  must  be  very  rich,  too,  since  he  owned  a fine 
horse  and  lived  in  a large  house.  A Moham- 
medan priest,  however,  argued  that,  had  the  doctor 
remained  in  America,  he  would  have  earned  ten 
times  the  amount  of  his  salary  as  a missionary. 
He  explained  the  doctor’s  hard  work  in  Turkey  on 
the  theory  that  he  was  seeking  to  save  his  own  soul ; 
that  he  had  made  a vow,  or  had  committed  some 
sin  for  which  he  sought  to  make  atonement  by  leav- 
ing his  native  land. 

A patient  who  had  just  been  treated  by  the  doctor 
then  spoke  up  and  told  the  priest  that  he  and  the 
others  were  mistaken;  that  another  inmate  of  the 
hospital  who  had  been  there  two  months  had  ex- 
plained it  all  in  these  words : “ These  Americans 
and  their  Armenian  helpers  have  a strange  way  of 


FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 


59 


talking  about  Hazreti  Eesa  (Jesus  of  Nazareth). 
He  seems  to  be  their  master,  and  they  act  as  if  he 
cared  for  us.”  The  patient  added  that  while  his 
wife  was  at  the  hospital,  he  went  there  every  day 
and  found  out  something  for  himself  about  Hazreti 
Eesa.  He  had  been  given  a copy  of  a Gospel  which 
explained  Dr.  Shepard’s  motive.  In  conclusion  he 
gave  his  audience  this  advice:  “If  you  want  to 
know  the  real  reason  why  Dr.  Shepard  and  these 
other  Americans  come  to  Turkey,  you  must  read 
that  book.” 

Every  few  years  the  cholera  appeared  in  Aintab. 
Dr.  Shepard  himself  had  it  once.  The  medical  mis- 
sionaries gave  public  lectures,  instructing  the  people 
to  use  only  boiled  water  and  to  eat  no  uncooked 
food.  The  mission  press  cooperated,  and  printed 
advice  was  distributed  freely. 

The  results  were  very  striking.  The  Christians 
who  heeded  the  advice  suffered  little  in  comparison 
with  the  Mohammedans.  A Turk  asked  Dr.  Shep- 
ard : “ Does  God  spread  his  wing  over  the  Chris- 
tians, so  that  they  do  not  die  from  cholera  like  the 
Turks?”  The  doctor  explained  that  the  Turks  in 
general  were  too  stubborn  to  be  willing  to  be  taught 
the  simple  rules  which  many  of  the  Christians  had 
observed. 

Dr.  Shepard  was  strong  in  mind  and  heart  as 
well  as  in  body,  and  he  was  absolutely  fearless, 


6o 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


whether  dealing  with  spirited  steeds  or  with  Kur- 
dish highwaymen.  At  the  same  time,  he  was  ten- 
derly sympathetic;  he  made  the  people  feel  that  he 
cared  for  them  in  their  trouble ; that  his  first  interest 
was  in  them  rather  than  in  any  program  of  his 
Mission  or  triumph  of  his  denomination.  He  made 
them  feel  that,  whatever  their  station,  they  could 
get  whatever  he  had  to  give.  He  identified  himself 
with  the  people,  uniting  with  an  Armenian  Evan- 
gelical church,  in  which  he  served  (he  did  not 
attempt  to  direct),  in  an  unpretentious  way,  as  a 
deacon. 

Although  time  and  strength  were  given  largely 
to  direct  hospital  service,  some  excellent  results 
were  secured  in  the  medical  school,  until  that  de- 
partment of  the  college  was  closed  on  account  of 
lack  of  funds.  While  numerous  young  men  were 
trained  in  the  four  classes  that  were  graduated,  sev- 
eral of  his  students  have  been  notably  successful. 
One  of  them,  Dr.  Habib  Nazarian,  was,  for  more 
than  thirty  years,  the  leading  Armenian  physician  in 
Aintab.  It  has  been  well  said,  “ His  influence  was 
the  most  direct,  wholesome,  personal  force  in  the 
life  of  the  community  for  a generation.”  The 
other  is  Dr.  A.  A.  Altounyan,  the  most  skilful  sur- 
geon in  Aleppo,  the  capital  of  North  Syria,  a city 
of  200,000  people.  Dr.  Altounyan  has  made  fre- 
quent visits  to  Europe  for  post-graduate  study,  and 


FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 


61 


he  has  built  a hospital  of  his  own  which  is  far  su- 
perior to  the  Mission  institutions.  This  is  as  it 
should  be.  The  native  forces  in  every  land  should 
be  expected  to  do  a larger  work  than  is  possible  for 
the  foreign  missionary,  and  he  is  wisest  who  trains 
native  leaders  to  go  far  beyond  their  missionary 
instructors.  Both  of  these  native  doctors  are  active 
Christians,  influential  citizens,  and  members  of  the 
Board  of  Managers  of  Central  Turkey  College. 

Dr.  Shepard  toured  the  country,  possibly  more 
than  any  other  missionary  in  Turkey,  sometimes 
needing  as  many  as  three  horses  in  a year.  When 
in  haste,  he  would  go  through  the  most  desolate 
sections,  in  order  to  avoid  towns  where  he  would 
have  been  required  to  stop  five  or  six  hours  “ to 
clean  up  cases  brought  on  the  spur  of  the  moment.” 
Although  the  roads  were  infested  with  bandits,  he 
rode  day  or  night  as  occasion  might  require,  and 
he  seldom  carried  arms.  He  was  fond  of  hunting, 
however,  and  it  was  well  known  that  he  could  shoot 
straight  and  that  he  brought  down  bears,  wild  boars, 
and  deer. 

The  only  time  Dr.  Shepard  ever  suffered  at  the 
hands  of  highwaymen  was  when  he  engaged  in 
relief  work  after  the  terrible  massacres  of  1908. 
Jemal  Pasha,  the  governor  of  Adana  Province,  had 
appointed  him  chairman  of  a committee  of  three  to 
have  charge  of  the  rebuilding  of  destroyed  villages 


62 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


in  a mountain  district.  Usually  he  carried  in  his 
saddle-bags  large  sums  with  which  to  pay  the  la- 
borers, but  this  time  he  had  little  money  with  him, 
and  therefore  he  was  attended  by  only  one  servant. 
As  he  was  going  down  a steep,  narrow  road  in  the 
mountains,  leading  his  horse,  he  heard  his  servant 
exclaim,  “ Don’t  come  here.  I’ll  shoot  you.” 
Turning,  he  saw  two  Kurds  charging  down  hill  on 
the  servant  and  several  others  approaching.  The 
servant  was  about  to  shoot  one  of  the  Kurds  when 
the  doctor  threw  them  apart.  The  other  Kurd 
knocked  Dr.  Shepard  down  with  the  butt  of  his 
gun.  The  missionary  happened  to  be  unarmed  that 
day.  The  Kurds  took  their  captives  to  the  woods 
and  held  them  there,  while  they  attacked  all  others 
passing  that  w'ay  and  robbed  them.  They  could 
release  none  of  their  prisoners  until  the  close  of  the 
day,  lest  other  travelers  be  warned  of  their  presence. 
Finally  an  Armenian  peddler,  who  knew  Dr.  Shep- 
ard well,  was  added  to  the  colony  of  captives. 
Turning  upon  the  Kurds  he  said:  “ Now  you  have 
done  it!  You  can  rob  any  one  else  you  please,  and 
escape,  but  you  can’t  rob  Dr.  Shepard  and  go 
unpunished.”  The  Armenian’s  remarks  had  a very 
disquieting  effect  on  Dr.  Shepard,  for  he  feared 
he  now  would  be  put  out  of  the  way  immediately 
by  the  leader  of  the  bandits,  a ruffian  named  Abtino, 
who  was  known  as  the  most  desperate  outlaw  of 


FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 


63 


the  region.  He  had  twenty  murders  to  his  credit, 
and  he  added  three  more  within  the  next  two  days. 
Once  the  Government  sent  a regiment  after  him 
but  failed  to  find  him.  Why  Abtino  did  not  kill  Dr. 
Shepard,  whom  he  seemed  not  to  recognize  until 
heckled  by  the  Armenian,  cannot  be  surmised,  un- 
less he  remembered  that  once,  when  he  was 
wounded,  he  had  been  treated  by  Dr.  Shepard  at  the 
hospital.  Possibly  a spark  of  gratitude  flashed  in 
his  breast  for  a moment.  At  nightfall  the  doctor 
and  his  servant  were  given  their  horses  and  were 
permitted  to  go  their  way. 

Dr.  Shepard  telegraphed  the  governor,  who  or- 
dered an  army  officer  to  take  as  many  men  as  he 
needed  and  capture  Abtino.  In  seventeen  days 
Abtino  was  taken,  and  after  being  identified  by  Dr. 
Shepard,  he  was  hanged. 

On  another  occasion  he  outwitted  two  Circassian 
robbers  who  were  well  mounted  and  whose  steeds 
promised  to  overtake  his  own.  Reaching  a turn  in 
the  road,  he  took  advantage  of  his  disappearance, 
for  a moment,  from  the  view  of  his  pursuers,  and 
led  his  horse  aside,  behind  a group  of  trees.  A few 
moments  later  the  Circassians  dashed  by  in  hot 
pursuit,  whereupon  Dr.  Shepard  retraced  his  steps 
and  took  another  road  to  Aintab. 

Mrs.  Shepard  was  a botanist  as  well  as  a physi- 
cian, and  in  Turkey  she  discovered  several  flowers 


64 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


and  plants  that  had  never  been  described  in  any 
botanical  work.  Once  when  she  saw,  on  a high  ledge 
of  rock,  a certain  flower  which  she  wished  to  exam- 
ine closely,  her  husband  climbed  up  the  face  of  the 
precipice  as  far  as  he  could,  and  then,  with  his 
revolver,  he  shot  down  the  plant  which  his  hands 
could  not  reach.  Mrs.  Shepard  was  also  deeply 
interested  in  the  most  practical  forms  of  social 
service,  despite  the  demands  made  on  her  time  by 
her  children,  two  daughters  and  one  son,  all  of 
whom  are  now  in  missionary  service.  At  the  time 
of  one  of  the  famines,  she  encouraged  the  women 
of  Aintab  to  do  needlework,  which  was  sold  for 
them  in  America.  Until  then,  there  was  little  re- 
munerative work  for  them,  except  reeling  cotton 
for  the  hand  looms,  where  their  wages  were  small — 
from  three  to  five  cents  a day.  Thousands  of 
women  in  Aintab  alone  have  learned  to  do  this 
needlework,  and  the  industry  has  spread  over  the 
country.  Native  dealers  took  it  up,  and  women  now 
are  able  to  command  better  wages  for  other  kinds 
of  work,  since  learning  how  to  earn  far  more  with 
their  needles  than  they  had  ever  been  paid  for  such 
labor  in  other  days. 

Anything  to  enable  the  people  to  secure  food  in 
the  terrible  days  of  famine  in  Turkey  was  an  un- 
speakable blessing.  In  1888,  Dr.  Shepard  wrote  to 
America : 


FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 


65 


“ We  reached  this  place  yesterday,  after  having 
spent  three  days  traveling  about  the  northern  part 
of  the  great  Adana  plain.  It  was  a sad  sight,  this 
great,  fertile  plain  as  deserted  and  desolate  as  Sa- 
hara. Village  after  village  was  completely  deserted, 
or  had  a single  family  left  in  it  to  guard  it.  Very 
little  had  been  sown  or  planted,  and  what  little  had 
been  was  dried  up  from  the  root.  Arrived  at  Adana, 
we  found  the  mission  house  besieged  by  crowds  of 
hungry  women  with  their  starving  infants  at  their 
breasts.  I hope  the  good  people  at  home  will  give 
from  their  plenty  to  feed  these  starving  bodies.  In 
the  providence  of  God  it  will  be  instrumental  in 
feeding  many  starving  souls  as  well.” 

The  work  at  the  Azariah  Smith  Memorial  Hos- 
pital at  Aintab  developed  amazingly,  with  a staff 
of  two  American  physicians,  three  Armenian  doc- 
tors, a superintendent  and  head  nurse,  six  other 
nurses,  a chaplain,  a cook,  and  numerous  servants. 
The  total  number  of  out-patients  in  a year  was 
5,492,  three  fourths  of  whom  had  nothing  whatever 
with  which  to  pay  for  the  care  given  them.  The 
annual  major  operations  averaged  five  hundred.  An 
average  of  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  per- 
sons visited  the  hospital  every  day — Turks,  Arme- 
nians, Greeks,  Jews,  Arabs  and  others.  The  chemist 
compounded  20,000  prescriptions  in  a year,  and  the 
physicians  registered  54,208  visits  to  patients  at  the 


66 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


hospital  and  outside  during  the  same  period.  Added 
to  this  was  the  religious  work  (if  there  is  a line  of 
distinction)  done  by  the  chaplain,  the  missionaries, 
and  the  others. 

In  1907,  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  com- 
ing of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Shepard  to  Aintab  was  ap- 
propriately celebrated.  The  exercises  had  been  an- 
nounced for  October  19,  but  a telegraphic  demand 
for  medical  help  came  from  Aleppo,  and  the  Doctor 
hastened  to  respond,  remarking,  “ That  patient’s 
life  is  worth  more  than  all  this  celebration.”  So 
the  exercises  were  postponed  a week,  when  the 
First  Church  in  Aintab,  which  accommodates  more 
than  3,000  persons,  was  crowded  with  an  audience 
composed  of  representatives  of  all  the  nationalities 
and  all  the  religions  of  the  land,  while  many  others 
stood  outside,  listening  through  the  open  windows. 
The  speakers  recognized  the  truly  great  service 
which  had  been  rendered  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Shepard, 
and  all  of  them  alluded  to  the  gift  which  had  been 
made  to  Turkey  by  one  who  might  have  earned  a 
large  fortune,  had  he  used  his  skill  for  his  own 
benefit.  Mrs.  Shepard’s  labors  for  the  industrial 
improvement  of  the  women  of  the  province  were 
also  recalled.  It  was  estimated  that  through  her 
efforts  the  annual  income  of  the  women  of  Aintab 
alone  had  been  increased  more  than  $35,000. 

In  response  to  the  numerous  eulogies,  Dr.  Shep- 


FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 


67 


ard  made  a very  simple  address  which  revealed  the 
real  spirit  of  the  man.  He  said  in  part : 

“If  one  who  did  not  know  me  had  listened  to 
what  has  been  said  about  me  during  the  last  two 
hours,  he  would  think  that  Dr.  Shepard  must  be 
some  great  man ; but  you  and  I know  that  it  is  not 
so.  A farmer’s  son,  I grew  up  as  an  orphan.  I 
finished  school  with  great  difficulty.  I have  not 
marked  intellectual  ability.  Yet  this  great  gather- 
ing on  a busy  week-day  afternoon  must  have  a 
reason.  I know  that  this  reason  is  not  I myself. 
It  is  one  greater  than  I am — God  and  his  love. 
For  one  who  knows  how  God  loves  men  and  how 
Jesus  has  saved  us,  not  to  tell  others  about  his  love 
is  impossible.  Because  I have  understood  a little  of 
that  love,  I try  to  let  others  know  about  it.  This  is 
the  purpose  of  my  life.  I did  not  come  to  this  coun- 
try to  make  money  or  to  win  a reputation.  I came  to 
bear  witness  to  this,  that  God  is  love.  And  if,  by 
my  work  or  life,  I have  been  able  to  show  this  to 
you,  I have  had  my  reward,  and  for  it  I thank  God.”1 
In  the  autumn  of  1914,  Turkey’s  response  to  Ger- 
many’s overtures  resulted  quickly  in  great  wailing 
and  lamentation  among  the  Armenians.  The  suf- 
fering of  the  people  was  almost  crushing  in  its  effect 
on  Dr.  Shepard,  who  was  ever  a man  of  peace. 
With  reference  to  the  countless  harrowing  atroci- 
ties which  followed  he  wrote : 


68 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


“ It  looks  as  if  there  were  a settled  plan  to  destroy 
the  Armenians,  but  in  such  a way  as  to  avoid  the 
hue  and  cry  that  would  follow  another  massacre.” 

In  the  autumn  of  1914,  while  at  the  seacoast  on 
business,  he  wrote  that  he  could  hardly  endure  the 
thought  of  returning  to  Aintab  and  facing  again 
the  terrible  conditions  there,  unless  some  way  were 
found  to  give  larger  relief  to  the  suffering  creatures 
of  that  community. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  massacre  of  the  Arme- 
nians in  1914,  Jemal  Pasha,  military  governor  of  the 
region  around  Aintab,  was  able  to  prevent  deporta- 
tion from  that  section,  but  after  a time  he  was 
transferred  to  another  post.  Dr.  Shepard  visited 
Jemal  Pasha’s  successor,  hoping  to  influence  him  in 
the  direction  of  leniency  towards  the  poor  people. 
As  he  was  not  successful  with  the  local  governor, 
he  next  made  the  long  journey  to  Constantinople 
to  see  what  could  be  done  at  the  capital  of  the 
Empire.  As  already  related,  he  did  his  utmost  to 
assure  the  Government  of  the  loyalty  of  the  Chris- 
tian people  of  Aleppo  Province,  but  a policy  of 
extermination  had  been  adopted,  and  his  plead- 
ings were  in  vain.  He  had  a hard  summer,  minis- 
tering to  the  wounded  Turkish  soldiers  in  the  hos- 
pital near  Constantinople,  and  when  autumn  came, 
it  seemed  wise  for  him  to  return  to  Aintab,  where 
his  wife  had  remained. 


FRED  DOUGLAS  SHEPARD 


69 


After  a few  weeks  at  Aintab,  weakened  in  body 
and  mind  by  the  suffering  he  had  witnessed,  and  by 
his  inability  to  do  anything  effective  to  save  the 
Armenians  from  deportation,  Dr.  Shepard  suc- 
cumbed to  an  attack  of  typhus  fever  and  passed  away 
in  December,  1915.  With  the  community  terror- 
ized as  it  was,  and  with  the  population  reduced  by 
reason  of  the  atrocities  committed,  there  was  not 
given  to  the  people  the  opportunity  to  express,  in 
a public  way,  their  appreciation  of  the  noble  services 
of  one  of  the  noblest  men  who  ever  lived  in  Turkey. 

When  the  life  and  work  of  such  a man  as  Fred 
Douglas  Shepard  are  reviewed  in  the  light  of  the 
turmoil  in  Turkey  for  many  decades,  it  is  easy  to 
accept  the  remark  attributed  to  Viscount  Bryce,  for- 
merly British  Ambassador  to  the  United  States,  that 
the  only  international  influence  which  has  ever 
helped  Turkey,  has  been  American  teacher^  and 
American  missionaries. 


JAMES  .CURTIS  HEPBURN 


Courtesy  of  the  Westminster  Press. 

JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 
OF  JAPAN. 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN  LEFT  AN  IMPRESS  ON  THE  LAND 
HE  LABORED  TO  ENLIGHTEN  AND  UPLIFT,  AN  IMPRESS 
THAT  CANNOT  BE  EFFACED.” 


IV 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 

T T is  difficult  for  a visitor  to  the  Sunrise  King- 
dom  to  realize  that  not  until  the  year  1853 
did  Japan  open  her  doors  to  the  outside  world. 
For  two  and  a half  centuries  the  Japanese  had  lived 
the  life  of  a hermit  nation,  the  government  strictly 
forbidding  any  of  its  people  to  visit  other  lands, 
and  as  strictly  prohibiting  foreigners  from  landing 
on  the  main  islands  of  old  Nippon.  If  a Japanese 
junk  were  driven  by  an  adverse  wind  to  some  for- 
eign coast,  the  sailors  were  not  permitted  ever  to  set 
foot  again  on  their  native  shores. 

The  traditions  are  to  the  effect  that,  in  the  six- 
teenth century,  the  labors  of  the  zealous  Roman 
Catholic  missionaries,  Francis  Xavier  and  his  fol- 
lowers, resulted  quickly  in  the  conversion  of  a mil- 
lion Japanese.  Political  leaders  became  alarmed, 
for  it  was  rumored,  first,  that  the  Pope  had  divided 
the  unexplored  lands  between  Spain  and  Portugal; 
and,  second,  that  in  the  wake  of  the  missionary 
followed  soldiers  to  take  possession  of  countries  in 


73 


74 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


the  name  of  their  sovereign.  Such  rumors,  unfor- 
tunately, were  not  entirely  without  foundation. 
Japanese  political  leaders  made  much  of  the  rumors, 
whatever  may  have  been  the  motives  of  the  early 
Roman  Catholic  missionaries,  and  soon  it  was  de- 
creed that  all  foreigners  should  be  banished  from 
the  country,  except  a few  Dutch  traders  and  others 
who  might  reside  on  a small  island  near  Nagasaki. 
It  was  further  decreed  that  the  Christian  religion 
should  be  abolished.  The  missionaries  were  ex- 
pelled at  once,  and  Japanese  who  would  not  re- 
nounce the  foreign  religion  were  threatened  with 
death.  Soon  Christianity  disappeared  except  from 
the  hearts  of  a few  simple  people  who  lived  in  out- 
of-the-way  places  and  passed  on  their  faith  from 
generation  to  generation. 

One  can  only  wonder  if  the  history  of  Christian- 
ity in  the  Orient  would  not  have  been  far  different 
had  all  missionary  effort  there  been  so  obviously 
disinterested  as  to  relieve  its  representatives  of  sus- 
picion of  ecclesiastical  or  political  motive.  Perhaps 
some  day  we  shall  make  our  plans  more  nearly  in 
accord  with  the  spirit  of  Him  who  “ came  not  to 
be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  and  give  his 
life  a ransom  for  many.”  Perhaps  some  day  we 
shall  be  more  ready  to  give  all  and  ask  nothing  in 
return,  save  the  joy  of  having  given;  to  serve  and 
ask  nothing  in  return,  save  the  joy  of  having  served. 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 


75 


Perhaps  some  day  we  shall  see  that  it  is  as  true  for 
agencies  as  for  agents  that  he  who  saves  his  life 
shall  lose  it,  while  he  who  loses  life  in  a joyous 
abandon  finds  it  multiplied. 

The  doors  of  the  Empire  were  opened  in  1853, 
with  greatest  reluctance,  and  even  then  only  because 
Commodore  Matthew  C.  Perry,  with  several  small 
ships  of  the  American  Navy,  dropped  anchor  in 
Japanese  waters  and  insisted,  if  he  did  not  compel, 
that  the  portals  be  left  slightly  ajar.  The  gates 
were  not  swung  open  at  first.  After  much  persua- 
sion, consent  had  been  given  for  sailors  of  other 
nations,  when  in  need  of  assistance,  to  take  refuge 
in  three  Japanese  harbors. 

But  in  1853  the  door  had  really  been  unlocked, 
although  the  Japanese  still  held  their  shoulders 
against  it  to  prevent  the  admission  of  the  despised 
foreigners,  concerning  whose  nature  and  habits 
they  held  grotesque  views.  A few  years  later 
Townsend  Harris,  who  was  sent  to  Japan  as  Amer- 
ican Consul-General,  took  up  his  residence  there  in 
the  face  of  bitter  opposition,  and  continued  there,  in 
spite  of  dangers  and  innumerable  privations,  until 
treaties  were  signed  that  permitted  foreigners  to 
enter  the  country.  However,  the  treaty  agreements 
were  made  only  because  the  Japanese  rulers  felt 
compelled  to  yield,  and  not  until  1868  did  those  in 
authority  recognize  fully  that  Japan  must  abandon 


76 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


a life  of  seclusion  and  qualify  for  a place  in  the 
family  of  modern  nations.  The  year  1872,  when 
religious  liberty  was  written  into  the  laws  of  the 
land,  must  forever  be  memorable. 

How  rapidly  the  Japanese  have  gone  forward 
can  hardly  be  understood  except  by  those  who  have 
been  privileged,  not  merely  to  visit  their  harbors, 
but  to  visit  the  institutions  that  have  been  developed 
within  half  a century,  and  to  enjoy  friendship  with 
some  of  the  people  who  are  striving  so  zealously 
for  the  advancement  and  uplift  of  their  country. 
Few  lands  are  so  fascinating  to  the  tourist,  and 
perhaps  none  is  more  interesting  to  the  student  of 
the  progress  of  peoples  the  world  around.  This  is 
the  land  that  will  ever  be  associated  with  the  life 
and  labors  of  James  Curtis  Hepburn. 

A miniature  of  Dr.  Hepburn’s  life  is  thus  traced 
by  one  of  his  biographers : “ At  twenty-six  he  began 
work  at  Singapore;  at  twenty-eight  he  was  in 
China ; at  forty-four  he  began  the  chief  labors  of 
his  life  in  Japan;  and  at  seventy-seven  he  came 
home  for  rest,  little  thinking  that  twenty  years  of 
life  yet  awaited  him.” 

James  Curtis  Hepburn  was  born  March  13,  1815, 
at  Milton,  Pennsylvania,  the  son  of  Samuel  Hep- 
burn and  his  wife,  Ann  Clay.  He  was  the  oldest 
son  and  next  to  the  oldest  child  in  a family  of  five 
girls  and  two  boys.  Of  his  early  home  life  he 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 


77 


wrote : “ My  father  and  mother  were  both  humble 
Christians,  bringing  up  their  children  to  fear  God, 
to  respect  and  love  the  Sabbath  day,  to  go  to  church, 
to  read  the  Bible,  and  commit  to  memory  the 
Shorter  Catechism.  My  mother  was  especially  in- 
terested in  foreign  missions.” 

The  future  missionary  attended  Milton  Academy, 
where  some  of  Pennsylvania’s  most  distinguished 
men  were  trained.  At  fourteen  years  of  age  he 
entered  Princeton,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the 
autumn  of  1832,  in  his  eighteenth  year.  At  Prince- 
ton his  outlook  on  life  was  broadened.  As  he  ex- 
pressed it,  “ I awoke  to  a new  life  and  was  born 
again  of  the  Spirit.”  He  protested  against  the 
study  of  Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew  until  President 
Green  convinced  him  that,  since  many  of  the  names 
used  in  the  natural  sciences  were  in  Latin,  he  could 
hardly  expect  to  master  even  chemistry  without 
some  knowledge  of  the  classics.  How  valuable  his 
study  of  languages  was  to  him  in  later  years,  we 
shall  discover  as  we  see  him  a lexicographer,  trans- 
lator, and  educator  in  Japan  fifty  years  later.  In- 
deed, his  greatest  work  would  have  been  impossible 
without  his  knowledge  of  the  classics.  In  the  light 
of  later  experiences,  it  appears  peculiarly  providen- 
tial that  he  studied  the  languages  so  thoroughly 
during  his  college  days.  His  parents  had  educated 
him  in  the  hope  that  he  would  enter  the  Presbyter- 


78 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


ian  ministry.  His  father’s  second  choice  would 
have  been  the  study  of  law,  but  after  receiving  the 
degree  of  Master  of  Arts,  James  Curtis  Hepburn 
decided  to  become  a physician.  He  began  the  study 
of  medicine  with  Dr.  Samuel  Pollock,  of  Milton. 
Later  he  attended  lectures  at  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  where,  in  the  spring  of  1836,  he  re- 
ceived his  diploma. 

Equipped  with  a good  medical  education,  he 
opened  an  office  in  Norristown,  Pennsylvania;  and 
it  was  here  that  he  met  the  remarkable  young  wo- 
man whom  he  afterwards  married,  Miss  Clarissa 
Leete.  And  here,  in  Norristown,  it  was  made  clear 
to  him  that  his  life  should  be  devoted  to  medical 
work  in  distant  fields. 

This  decision  to  do  missionary  work  was  not 
hastily  made.  For  four  years  he  considered  the 
matter  from  every  point  of  view.  “ I did  not  at 
first  entertain  it  with  pleasure,  but  more  as  a stern 
duty,”  he  said  in  later  life.  “ I myself  tried  to 
cast  off  this  idea,  but  I found  no  rest  until  I decided 
to  go.  Everything  seemed  to  favor  my  going — es- 
pecially finding  a wife  who  was  of  the  same  mind 
and  ready  to  go  with  me.” 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hepburn  were  married  in  October, 
1840,  and  in  1841,  they  responded  to  the  call  of  the 
American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  who  desired 
medical  missionaries  to  labor  among  the  Chinese 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 


79 


immigrants  in  Siam.  It  is  not  possible  here  to 
relate  the  experiences  of  the  young  couple,  first 
at  Batavia  and  later  at  Singapore,  where  they  de- 
cided to  locate,  instead  of  proceeding  a little  farther 
to  Siam.  Their  stay  at  each  of  these  ports  was 
brief.  The  great  land  of  China,  a few  hundred 
miles  to  the  northeast,  gave  signs  of  opening  to 
missionary  work;  and  the  doctor  and  his  wife  pre- 
ferred to  reach  the  Chinese  in  their  homes,  if  pos- 
sible, rather  than  in  their  settlements  on  the  Malay 
Peninsula.  After  stopping  a short  time  at  Macao, 
they  proceeded  to  Amoy,  in  1843,  where  the  climate 
so  threatened  the  life  of  Mrs.  Hepburn  that  it  be- 
came necessary  for  them  to  return  to  America,  and 
in  November,  1845,  they  sailed  on  the  Panama  for 
New  York. 

Their  missionary  hopes  seemed  blasted.  They 
settled  down  to  establish  a practice  and  a home  in 
the  great  metropolis.  Of  their  six  children,  one 
had  died  at  sea,  another  in  Singapore,  and  three 
others  died  during  the  thirteen  years  of  their  res- 
idence in  New  York.  Following  the  loss  of  all 
their  children  but  one,  there  came  a clear  call  to 
return  to  the  Orient. 

In  1859,  there  were  men  in  the  Far  East  who 
understood  the  significance  of  events,  when  Consul- 
General  Harris,  overcoming  almost  insuperable 
difficulties,  succeeded  in  persuading  the  Japanese  to 


So 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


sign  a treaty  that  permitted  foreigners  to  live  in 
Japan.  Among  such  men  were  Dr.  S.  Wells  Will- 
iams, formerly  interpreter  for  Commodore  Pern7, 
and  at  that  time  Secretary  to  the  American  Lega- 
tion in  China.  A second  was  the  Rev.  Henry 
Wood,  chaplain  in  the  United  States  Navy.  A third 
American  was  the  Rev.  E.  W.  Syle,  then  the  sailors’ 
chaplain  in  Shanghai.  Each  of  these  men  agreed 
to  communicate  with  the  Mission  Board  of  his  own 
church,  and  to  urge  that  care  be  exercised  in  the 
selection  of  the  pioneer  evangelical  missionaries  to 
be  sent  to  Japan.  The  prejudice  against  Christian- 
ity had  survived  through  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years.  The  word  “ Christian  ” had  unpleasant  as- 
sociations. Dr.  Williams  was  informed  that  the 
Japanese  would  agree  to  trade  with  foreigners  “ if 
a way  could  be  found  to  keep  opium  and  Christian- 
ity out  of  the  country.”  They  were  afraid  of  the 
“ pestilential  sect  called  Christians  and  they  were 
not  entirely  lacking  in  grounds  for  their  fears. 
Little  wonder  that  men  who  knew  the  situation 
should  insist  that  Mission  Boards  in  America  send 
to  Japan  the  very  best  men  available.  The  Episcopa- 
lians transferred  C.  M.  Williams  and  John  Liggins 
from  China.  The  Reformed  Protestant  [Dutch] 
Church  sent  S.  R.  Brown  and  Guido  Verbeck.  The 
Presbyterians  gladly  reappointed  James  Curtis 
Hepburn  and  wife,  whose  hearts  bade  them  go 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 


81 


forth  again  as  ambassadors  of  Christ.  These  men 
in  general  represented  what  was  really  the  best  in 
American  life. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hepburn  placed  their  only  living 
child,  Samuel,  in  boarding-school,  and  sailed  from 
New  York  on  the  Sancho  Panza  on  April  24,  1859. 
Four  months  and  five  days  later  they  reached 
Shanghai,  China,  where  illness  detained  them  sev- 
eral weeks.  By  the  middle  of  October  they  reached 
Kanagawa,  which  is  now  a suburb  of  the  growing 
city  of  Yokohama.  In  those  days  what  is  now 
called  Yokohama  was  a mud  flat,  dotted  with  a 
few  small  huts  occupied  by  fishermen.  For  a res- 
idence, they  could  find  nothing  better  in  inhospitable 
Kanagawa  than  an  old  Buddhist  temple  which  the 
Dutch  Consul  had  declined  to  use  as  a stable.  Idols 
and  accumulated  filth  were  removed,  while  soda 
and  whitewash  were  needed  to  cleanse  century-old 
deposits  on  walls  that  retained  odors  of  joss-sticks 
and  oil  used  in  worship.  Partitions  were  then  put 
up,  to  make  apartments  in  which  Dr.  and  Mrs.  S. 
R.  Brown,  as  well  as  the  Hepburns,  found  a home. 
Four  men-servants  were  secured  for  two  dollars 
each  a month.  From  the  servants,  the  carpenters, 
and  visitors,  curious  to  see  the  “ foreign  devils  ” 
and  their  queer  ways  of  living,  they  picked  up  many 
words  in  their  practical  study  of  the  language  of 
the  Japanese. 


8 2 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


When  Dr.  Hepburn  entered  Japan  as  a medical 
missionary,  he  rented  a second  Buddhist  temple  in 
which  he  opened  a dispensary.  Soon  multitudes 
of  sick  persons  came  to  be  treated,  until  his  work 
was  halted.  The  government  closed  his  dispensary 
and  drove  the  sick  people  away.  Presently  it  tran- 
spired that  its  real  purpose  was  to  compel  Dr.  Hep- 
burn and  other  foreigners  to  remove  to  Yokohama, 
two  miles  distant,  where  their  lives  could  be  more 
easily  protected,  for  foreigners  were  not  safe  in 
Japan  in  those  days.  Whatever  may  have  been  the 
desire  of  the  government,  most  of  the  people  hated 
the  “ foreign  devils  ” and  many  were  ready  to  do 
them  violence.  Twelve  or  fifteen  foreigners  were 
killed  in  one  year.  The  English  Legation  was  at- 
tacked and  some  of  the  guards  were  killed.  The 
house  of  the  American  Minister  was  burned  and  his 
secretary  assassinated.  For  the  protection  of  Dr. 
Hepburn  and  Dr.  Brown  and  their  families,  the 
government  built  a high  stockade  around  the  temple 
used  as  a residence  and  placed  a guard  of  four 
soldiers  at  the  gate. 

The  missionaries  were  constantly  suspected  of 
designs  to  conquer  Japan.  Kindly  motives  and  un- 
selfish service  were  beyond  the  understanding  of 
the  Japanese  at  that  time.  Moreover,  the  white 
man  had  established  a reputation  for  subjugating 
and  exploiting  weaker  peoples.  To-day  Japanese 


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" FOR  A RESIDENCE,  THEY  COULD  FIND  NOTHING  BETTER  IN  INHOSPITABLE  KANAGAWA 
THAN  AN  OLD  BUDDHIST  TEMPLE.” 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 


83 


laugh  at  the  fears  of  their  fathers,  but  it  was  not 
a laughing  matter  to  the  missionaries.  Soon  after 
his  arrival,  Dr.  Hepburn  found  men  near  his  house 
who  afterwards  confessed  that  they  were  seeking 
an  opportunity  to  kill  him  and  other  foreigners. 
Another  man  entered  the  service  of  the  doctor  for 
the  purpose  of  killing  him,  but  after  discovering 
the  real  character  of  the  missionaries,  he  gave  up 
his  plan.  It  required  much  unselfish  service  on  the 
part  of  the  missionaries  to  convince  the  people  that 
they  had  not  come  as  the  advance  agents  of  con- 
quering military  forces. 

The  Samurai,  “ servants  of  the  Mikado,”  de- 
scendants of  ancient  warriors,  were  the  aristocrats 
of  the  land;  the  idle  gentlemen,  if  you  please,  who 
were  supported  by  the  plainer  people.  A pair  of 
swords  was  the  badge  of  this  privileged  class;  and 
despite  all  the  government  could  do,  their  swords 
were  frequently  unsheathed.  Even  in  the  face  of 
such  dangers,  the  Christian  physician  went  wher- 
ever his  skill  was  required  to  relieve  suffering. 

When  his  hospital  at  Kanagawa  was  closed  by 
the  government,  Dr.  Hepburn  gave  himself  wholly 
to  the  study  of  the  language,  and  thus  the  inter- 
ruption gave  him  opportunity  to  prepare  for  his 
greatest  service  to  the  Japanese  people  a few  years 
later.  However,  when  ordered  by  the  government 
to  make  his  home  at  Yokohama,  where  he  lived 


84 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


nearly  all  the  time  he  was  in  Japan,  he  reopened 
his  dispensary  and  treated  from  six  to  ten  thousand 
patients  annually,  until  compelled  by  ill  health  to 
give  up  his  medical  work. 

An  intimate  friend  of  Dr.  Hepburn’s  gives  this 
graphic  picture  of  work  in  his  hospital : 

“ In  a room  able  to  hold  about  a hundred  persons, 
there  were  gathered  daily  from  twenty  to  seventy- 
five  persons,  of  all  ages  . . . Without  fuss  or 
visible  emotion,  though  with  real  sympathy  and 
profound  pity,  the  missionary  physician  did  his 
work  of  relief.  Near  or  around  him  were  from  five 
to  ten  native  youths,  most  of  whom  have  since  made 
their  record  as  men  with  the  letters  M.  D.  after  their 
names.  These  were  preparing  medicine,  bandages, 
or  dressings,  assisting  in  surgery,  or  in  preparation 
of  the  patients. 

“ Here  was  an  old  man  hoping  for  relief  from 
some  chronic  disease ; and  here  were  mothers,  hold- 
ing up  their  sick  babies  to  the  doctor,  pleading  for 
one  ray  of  hope  ...  I can  never  forget  those 
piercing  looks  into  the  doctor’s  face.  Frequently 
their  piteous  glances  or  importunate  petitions  were 
of  no  avail.  Disease  had  gone  too  far,  and  often 
death  was  prompt  and  merciful.  Happy  indeed  was 
the  doctor  himself  when,  by  a pinch  of  powder,  a 
bolus,  a lotion,  a salve,  a dressing,  or  a surgical 
operation,  he  could  bring  joy  and  hope.  Many  of 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 


85 


his  most  successful  operations  had  been  previously 
unknown  in  Japan. 

“ Around  the  walls  were  comforting  passages 
from  the  Book  of  Books,  rich  promises,  words  of 
hope  and  tender  consolation,  messages  from  the 
Great  Physician.  With  the  help  of  interpreters, 
even  in  earlier  years,  the  waiting-time  and  fruitful 
opportunity  made  this  room  often  the  very  gate 
of  heaven  to  souls,  whose  ransom  from  the  power 
of  guilt,  suffering,  and  darkness  began  here.  Yes, 
that  dispensary  was  a Bethel  to  many  of  the  Japan- 
ese. Dr.  Hepburn’s  problems  were  not  geograph- 
ical, ethical,  or  philosophical,  but  immediate  and 
human.” 

Dr.  Hepburn  knew  that  the  life  of  people  every- 
where depends,  for  its  real  nature,  upon  their  faith 
in  God,  for  unconsciously  men  become  like  the  gods 
they  worship;  he  knew,  therefore,  that  men  would 
become  righteous  as  they  learned  to  worship  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness.  His  chief  contribution  was 
along  literary  lines,  taking  a leading  part  in  help- 
ing the  English-speaking  world  to  a better  under- 
standing of  Japanese  language  and  literature,  and 
then  giving  the  Scriptures  to  the  Japanese,  in  their 
own  language.  He  was  certain  that  Buddhism  and 
Shintoism  were  insufficient  for  the  moral  or  spir- 
itual redemption  of  a people. 

After  eight  years  in  Japan,  he  published  the  first 


86 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


edition  of  his  Japanese-English  Dictionary,  on 
which  all  others  are  based.  The  value  of  his  work, 
which  helped  the  East  and  the  West  to  understand 
each  other  better,  can  hardly  be  overestimated. 
Very  soon  after  the  completion  of  the  dictionary', 
he  began  to  translate  tracts,  then  the  Westminster 
Shorter  Catechism  and  other  Christian  literature. 
Later,  he  revised  translations  made  by  others  of 
books  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  in  1880  he  trans- 
literated into  the  Roman  letter  all  of  the  New 
Testament.  Meanwhile,  he  had  translated  the  four 
Gospels  into  Japanese. 

In  September,  1872,  the  Protestant  missionaries 
in  Japan  determined  to  secure  the  best  possible 
translation  of  the  entire  Bible.  The  country  was 
surveyed  to  secure  men  qualified  for  such  an  im- 
portant task,  both  Japanese  and  foreigners.  The 
committee  consisted  of  three  missionaries,  Dr.  S. 
R.  Brown,  Dr.  Hepburn  and  Dr.  D.  C.  Greene,  who 
were  ably  assisted  by  four  Japanese,  Okuno,  Taka- 
hashi,  Miwa,  and  Matsuyama.  Dr.  Nathan  Brown 
also  rendered  valuable  assistance.  Five  years  and 
six  months  after  the  committee  began  its  labors,  the 
New  Testament  was  published.  Individuals  had 
brought  out  translations  earlier,  but  the  translation 
brought  out  by  the  committee  represented  the  com- 
bined scholarship  of  many  students.  In  1887  the 
entire  Bible  in  Japanese  was  published.  Dr.  Hep- 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 


87 


burn  was  regarded  as  the  leader  in  this  monumental 
work.  Later  he  prepared  a Bible  Dictionary  in 
Japanese.  In  the  midst  of  all  his  literary  work,  he 
found  time  to  preach  frequently  and  to  show  his 
interest  in  Japanese  church  work. 

As  he  was  nearing  the  completion  of  his  fifteen 
years  of  labor  in  the  translation  of  the  Bible,  Dr. 
Hepburn  was  notified  of  his  election  as  president 
of  Meiji  Gaku-in  [Hall  of  Learning  of  the  Era  of 
Enlightened  Government],  the  Presbyterian  school 
in  Tokyo.  Here  he  served  until  1892,  when,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-seven,  he  gave  up  active  work  and 
returned  to  America  with  Mrs.  Hepburn  for  the 
Indian  summer  of  their  lives.  It  has  been  said 
that  “ Perry  won  Japan  from  a hermit  life,  but 
Hepburn  opened  the  Japanese  heart.” 

How  different  was  the  Japan  of  1892  from  the 
Japan  which  the  Hepburns  had  found  in  1859! 
A miracle  had  happened  in  a third  of  a century. 
“ The  father  of  medical  science  in  this  part  of 
Asia  ” had  seen  the  Japanese  develop  a large  num- 
ber of  well  qualified  physicians.  Concerning  this 
development  William  Elliot  Griffis,  after  the  Russo- 
Japanese  War,  wrote  as  follows: 

“ The  Japan  of  our  day  is  a land  that  leads  the 
world  in  military  and  public  hygiene  and  in  success- 
ful surgery,  while  all  the  records  of  war,  in  saving 
the  lives  of  the  wounded,  have  been  broken  by  a 


88 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


nation  that  knows  to  perfection  the  fine  art  of 
profiting  by  the  experience  and  abilities  of  other 
peoples,  but  is  largely  so  because  of  Dr.  Hepburn 
and  men  like  him.” 

The  medical  missionary  had  seen  in  his  work  that 
which  should  be  desired  by  all  missionaries — the 
development  of  native  forces  who  will  take  the  lead 
in  their  own  land  and  as  speedily  as  possible  make 
unnecessary  the  assistance  of  foreigners.  And  that 
which  had  happened  in  medicine  was  happening  in 
commerce,  education,  and  other  spheres.  It  was 
beginning  to  come  true  in  the  Christian  movement 
as  well.  In  1859,  Dr.  Hepburn  had  found  sign- 
boards in  public  places  proclaiming  Christianity  an 
evil  sect  which  was  strictly  prohibited  by  the  gov- 
ernment. He  lived  to  see  religious  liberty  fully 
established  and  Christianity  securely  planted  in  the 
life  of  the  nation.  To-day,  self-supporting  Chris- 
tian churches,  with  a membership  of  a thousand 
each,  may  be  found,  with  devoted,  scholarly  men 
as  pastors. 

Upon  returning  to  America,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hep- 
burn established  a home  at  East  Orange,  New 
Jersey.  There  they  lived  simply  and  quietly,  as 
had  been  their  wont  in  Japan.  Perhaps  their  simple 
living  had  helped  them  to  find  the  hearts  of  the 
Japanese.  The  Emperor  of  Japan  conferred  on  Dr. 
Hepburn  “ The  Third  Order  of  Merit  of  the  Rising 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 


89 


Sun,  for  services  to  spiritual  and  educational  causes 
in  Japan.”  The  American  Bible  Society  congratu- 
lated him,  “ in  view  of  his  preeminent  services,  as 
the  principal  translator  of  the  Japanese  Bible.” 
His  Alma  Mater,  Princeton  University,  conferred 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  From  Japan  came 
messages  of  love  and  appreciation.  At  Yokohama 
a meeting  was  held  by  Christians  to  celebrate  the 
fifteenth  anniversary  of  his  arrival  in  Japan,  and  to 
express  appreciation  of  his  work. 

On  Dr.  Hepburn’s  ninety-third  birthday,  he  re- 
ceived from  the  president  of  his  Alma  Mater, 
Woodrow  Wilson,  a message  which  in  part  was  as 
follows : “ I hope  that  you  realize  the  high  honor 
in  which  you  are  held  by  all  who  know  you  and  all 
who  know  of  your  work,  and  that  you  realize  in 
particular  the  very  great  pride  that  all  Princeton 
men  have  in  the  life-work  by  which  you  have  won 
such  honorable  distinction.”  At  a memorial  service 
held  in  Japan,  soon  after  the  news  of  his  death  had 
been  cabled  by  Baron  Uchida,  the  Mikado’s  Am- 
bassador at  Washington,  Dr.  Hepburn  was  spoken 
of  by  a member  of  the  Japanese  Parliament,  the 
Hon.  A.  Hattori,  as  “ the  man  who  brought  Chris- 
tian civilization  to  Japan.” 

On  September  21,  1911,  at  ninety-six  years  of 
age,  this  noble  servant  of  God,  a recognized  bene- 
factor of  the  Japanese  nation,  passed  away,  having 


90 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


been  preceded  by  his  wife  in  1905.  The  news  of 
the  good  man’s  home-going  was  received  with  sad- 
ness on  both  sides  of  the  Pacific.  The  Japanese 
Ambassador  cabled  the  sad  tidings  to  his  own  land. 
In  America  and  in  Japan  there  were  many  to  give 
thanks  for  such  a noble  life. 

It  was  not  strange  that  the  Japanese  should  have 
held  Dr.  Hepburn  in  such  high  honor.  Dr.  Harada, 
President  of  Doshisha  University,  said  of  him  that, 
while  many  individuals  and  agencies  had  united  to 
advance  his  nation,  “ if  one  name  alone  were  to  be 
singled  out,  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  name 
would  be  Dr.  Hepburn’s.” 

In  summing  up  his  impressions  of  Dr.  Hepburn, 
a missionary  wrote: 

“ Zeal  and  work  are  great  things,  but  in  the  long 
run  it  is  character  that  tells;  and  in  what  high  and 
homely,  what  lofty  and  intimate,  strains  had  been 
sung  in  the  life-song  of  this  man, — physician,  trans- 
lator, teacher,  author,  and  Christian  gentleman!” 

When  one  reviews  the  lives  of  such  men  as  Hep- 
burn, Verbeck,  S.  R.  Brown,  Nathan  Brown,  D.  C. 
Greene,  and  other  pioneers  of  broad  culture  and 
genuine  love  for  all  men,  who  labor  so  devotedly, 
one  can  easily  believe  that  “ the  missionary  body 
has  been  Japan’s  chief  instructor,  exerting  an  in- 
fluence wholly  for  enlightenment  and  for  good.” 
And  one  can  easily  believe  also  that  missionaries 


JAMES  CURTIS  HEPBURN 


9i 


are  often  ambassadors  of  international  good-will  in 
a world  that  is  constantly  threatened  with  conflicts 
between  the  races  of  men.  James  Curtis  Hepburn 
left  an  impress  on  the  land  he  labored  to  enlighten 
and  uplift,  an  impress  that  cannot  be  effaced. 


V 

JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


• - 


•-:T 


i-j'f 


Courtesy  of  the  Fleming  H.  Rcrell  Company. 

JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 
OF  PERSIA. 


THE  POOR  LOOKED  UP  TO  DR.  COCHRAN  WITH  A GREAT  AND 
GRATEFUL  AWE.” 


M 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 

HERE  is  a tradition  to  the  effect  that,  im- 


mediately after  the  death  of  Christ,  the  dis- 
ciple Thomas  went  to  India,  following  the  course 
prepared  for  him  by  the  three  Wise  Men.  It  is  said 
that  one  of  the  stopping-places  on  his  long  journey 
was  by  the  lake  of  Urumia,  in  Persia,  where  many 
people  were  converted  to  Christianity.  Whether 
the  story  be  truth  or  legend,  it  is  certain  that  the 
group  of  Eastern  Christians  known  as  Nestorians 
claim  the  Apostle  Thomas  as  their  ecclesiastical  an- 
cestor. But  it  appears  equally  certain  that,  had  he 
visited  the  Nestorians  by  Lake  Urumia,  in  the 
nineteenth  century,  discovering  their  separation  of 
religion  from  morals  and  their  gross  superstition, 
he  would  have  renounced  his  own  spiritual  chil- 
dren, or  at  least  have  called  them  to  repentence. 

In  1831,  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners 
for  Foreign  Missions  appointed  two  of  its  mission- 
aries at  Constantinople  to  visit  the  Nestorians,  who 
numbered  perhaps  100,000,  and  who  lived  in  Persia 
and  in  the  Turkish  mountains.  Many  of  the  Nes- 


95 


96 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


torians  were  wild  and  rough;  others,  crushed  by  the 
warlike  Kurds,  were  docile  and  desperately  poor. 
The  visitors,  representing  the  Christians  of  the 
New  World,  were  graciously  received,  with  their 
message  of  peace,  love,  and  sympathy.  These  first 
missionaries  found  the  Nestorians  illiterate.  Indeed, 
there  were  no  books  in  the  spoken  language,  and 
only  the  ecclesiastics  and  one  woman  could  be  found 
who  were  able  to  read  the  ancient  literature.  They 
were  poor  and  they  were  persecuted  by  followers  of 
other  creeds.  Such  were  many  of  the  people  in 
whose  midst  Joseph  Plumb  Cochran  was  born,  in 
1855;  his  father  and  mother,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Joseph 
G.  Cochran,  having  reached  Persia  as  missionaries 
in  1848. 

Young  Joseph  spent  most  of  his  early  life  at  Seir, 
the  mountain  home  of  his  parents,  six  miles  from 
the  city  of  Urumia,  in  Persia.  In  its  sweetness  and 
purity  that  home  was  a veritable  oasis  in  a moral 
desert,  where  life  was  wretched  in  many  respects, 
and  often  unspeakably  cruel  in  clashes  between 
Kurd  and  Persian,  Moslem  and  Christian;  and  it 
was  always  overshadowed  by  the  unscrupulous  and 
bloody  Turk  just  beyond  the  western  borders.  In 
such  a home,  so  close  always  to  personal  danger, 
young  Joseph  began  to  consider  the  point  toward 
which  he  should  work  in  after  life. 

All  the  conditions  under  which  the  lad  was  reared 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


97 


helped  to  produce  a robust  character.  In  his  own 
Persian  home  and  in  mission  circles  he  saw  men  and 
women  who  made  devotion  to  God  and  service  to 
. humanity  their  highest  ideals,  scorning  the  dangers 
to  which  they  were  consequently  exposed.  At  fif- 
teen years  of  age  Joseph  Cochran  came  to  America 
with  his  mother  and  one  sister.  His  other  sister 
had  spent  a year  in  Buffalo,  recovering  from  a 
severe  accident  Joseph  at  once  began  attending 
school,  and  by  the  time  he  was  nineteen  he  had 
completed  the  high  school  course  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

There  was  nothing  startling  in  the  nature  of  the 
young  man’s  call  to  service  in  Persia.  From  his 
personal  knowledge  of  missionary  life,  he  regarded 
it  as  a privilege  rather  than  a sacrifice,  and  as  a 
path  to  happiness  as  well  as  to  usefulness.  When 
word  came  announcing  the  death  of  his  father,  it 
seemed  only  natural  that  Joseph,  still  at  school, 
should  qualify  to  follow  in  his  father’s  footsteps. 
As  quickly  as  possible  he  took  courses  at  Yale,  at 
the  Buffalo  Medical  College,  and  at  Bellevue  Med- 
ical College  in  New  York,  securing  his  degree  from 
the  last-named  institution.  He  took  extra  courses 
in  pharmacy  and  dentistry,  and  specialized  on 
treatment  of  the  eye.  He  spent  a year,  also,  as 
house  physician  in  the  Kings  County  Hospital. 

With  this  complete  equipment,  he  was  appointed, 
in  1878,  as  missionary  to  Persia  by  the  Board  of 


g8 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
the  United  States  of  America.  This  was  shortly 
after  his  marriage  to  Miss  Katharine  Hale,  of 
Minneapolis,  to  whom  a large  measure  of  his  use- 
fulness and  success  was  due.  He  met  her  two  years 
before,  just  after  her  graduation  from  Vassar  Col- 
lege. They  sailed  for  Persia,  making  the  jour- 
ney by  way  of  England,  where  they  visited  places 
famous  for  beauty  or  for  associations;  then  they 
crossed  to  Rotterdam,  going  up  the  “ castled 
Rhine  ” to  Cologne,  whose  great  cathedral  they 
wished  to  see.  It  was  a brief  glimpse  they  had  of  it, 
however,  as  they  weire  obliged  to  hasten  on  to 
Odessa,  and  thence,  by  wrater,  to  a seaport  named 
Poti,  on  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Black  Sea.  From 
Poti  they  journeyed  comfortably,  by  rail,  to  Tiflis. 

Here  the  young  wife  began  to  realize  that  she 
was  indeed  in  a foreign  land,  for  an  entire  month 
was  consumed  in  traveling  the  three  hundred  miles 
from  Tiflis  to  Urumia. 

Mrs.  Cochran  was  blessed  with  a delightful  sense 
of  humor,  for  some  of  the  discomforts  of  this  jour- 
ney are  thus  whimsically  translated  in  a letter: 

“ Of  all  the  methods  of  travel  I have  tried  in  the 
course  of  my  existence  that  in  a taklit-i-ravan  1 is  a 

1 A swinging  couch,  or  litter,  attached  to  two  long  poles. 
The  poles  depend  from  straps  fastened  to  two  mules,  one  in 
front  of  the  litter,  the  other  just  back  of  it. 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


99 


trifle  the  most  insecure.  But  it  is  stylish,  no  doubt. 
I am  considered  a person  of  considerable  import- 
ance by  all  whom  we  meet,  for  only  great  people 
travel  in  this  way. 

“ I have  a white  mule  in  front  and  a black  mule 
behind.  A mounted  charvador 1 leads  the  proces- 
sion, and  another  follows  on  foot,  to  keep  the  back 
mule  in  motion  by  continual  beatings  and  yellings. 
I’m  sorry  for  that  back  mule!  Poor  beast,  he  has 
to  walk  by  faith  and  not  by  sight.  All  he  can  see 
in  front  is  blank  boards,  and  when  he  comes  to  a 
muddy  ditch,  his  imagination  leads  him  to  think  it 
is  an  endless  sea  of  mire,  and  I don’t  blame  him 
for  now  and  then  refusing  to  set  his  foot  in  it, 
though  it  does  make  it  rather  unpleasant  for  the 
other  mule  and  me.” 

Two  weeks  after  their  arrival  in  Urumia  his 
sister,  who  was  living  there,  wrote : 

“ Poor  Joe  does  not  have  time  to  breathe  in  the 
city.  His  dispensary  is  thronged.  It  seems  as  if 
all  Urumia  had  become  sick  just  as  he  came.” 

He  plunged  at  once  into  work  and  into  hard  work. 
Although  not  twenty-five  years  old,  Dr.  Cochran, 
with  his  knowledge  of  the  language  of  the  Nestor- 
ians,  the  Mohammedans,  and  of  the  Turks,  found 
himself  in  close  relations  with  all  classes,  including 
high  government  officials,  army  officers,  and  the 


1 A head  muleteer. 


100 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


leaders  of  various  religions,  while  multitudes  of 
the  sick  came  to  him  daily. 

His  wife  gives  us  this  vivid  little  picture  of  Dr. 
Cochran’s  work: 

“ Joe  is  so  beset  with  people  that  he  has  had  to 
lock  his  doors  to-day  while  he  prepared  for  the 
mail.  Somehow,  I never  realized  before  how  the 
sick  thronged  and  crowded  upon  Christ  during  his 
whole  life  wherever  he  went.  People  do  just  so 
in  this  country.  A few  Sabbaths  ago,  Joe  went 
to  a village  some  distance  from  here.  He  had  not 
taken  off  his  boots  before  the  sick  began  to  come 
to  the  house  where  he  was.  Before  and  after  the 
service  it  was  just  so.  The  next  morning  he  went 
to  another  village,  and  as  they  heard  of  his  coming, 
by  the  time  he  arrived  the  sick  were  all  out  in  the 
streets,  on  beds,  on  donkeys,  and  on  people’s  backs. 
Was  it  not  like  the  times  of  Christ?  ” 

Although  the  governor  and  other  high  officials 
turned  to  Dr.  Cochran  for  treatment,  and  he  was 
decorated  by  the  Shah,  he  still  gave  the  greater  part 
of  his  time  and  strength  to  humbler  persons.  On 
one  occasion,  five  Kurds  made  a perilous  journey 
of  twenty-five  days  and  reached  the  hospital  with 
two  dollars  in  money.  They  had  heard  that  the 
doctor  received  persons  of  all  nationalities  and 
creeds,  and  that  the  poor  were  quite  as  welcome  as 
the  rich. 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


ior 


“ The  poor  looked  up  to  Dr.  Cochran  with  a great 
and  grateful  awe,”  a colleague  said  of  him.  “ I 
chanced  to  see,  in  the  compound  one  day,  a poor 
ragged  man  reverently  lifting  and  kissing  the  skirt 
of  the  doctor’s  frock  coat,  in  which  he  had  been 
calling  upon  the  governor,  while  the  doctor,  obliv- 
ious of  the  incident,  was  talking  to  another  man.” 

Nearly  all  of  those  who  were  received  in  the  hos- 
pital were  of  the  very  poorest.  On  one  occasion, 
nine  leprous  Nestorians,  ragged  and  blind,  traveled 
fifteen  days  to  reach  the  hospital.  They  had  passed 
through  a dangerous  country,  principally  by  night, 
sleeping  among  the  rocks  in  the  daytime.  Only 
one  of  the  nine  could  be  helped,  and  the  doctor  was 
obliged  sorrowfully  to  tell  the  others  that  he  was 
powerless  to  aid  them.  In  a single  year  Dr.  Coch- 
ran himself  would  give  about  10,000  treatments, 
while  his  native  assistants  would  give  several  thou- 
sand more.  “ There  would  always  be  people  wait- 
ing for  him  the  first  thing  in  the  morning,”  a friend 
stated,  “ so  that  he  did  not  dare  show  himself  before 
breakfast  or  there  was  no  knowing  when  he  could 
get  back.” 

The  first  hospital  in  all  Persia  was  simple  and 
inexpensive,  and  appropriations  for  its  maintenance 
were  small ; but  within  its  walls  the  skilled  medical 
missionary  performed  such  remarkable  operations 
that  its  fame  spread  even  across  to  Turkey  and  into 


102 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Kurdistan.  Here  he  trained  native  physicians  and 
sent  them  out  to  heal  the  sick. 

“ Persia  is  a brown  and  dreary  land.”  This 
statement  is  true  for  the  land  in  general ; but  wher- 
ever water  touches  the  soil,  the  wilderness  is  made 
to  blossom.  In  this  it  resembles  the  brown  deserts 
of  our  own  Western  country.  One  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  the  oases  in  Persia  is  Urumia,  the  home 
of  Zoroaster.  The  city  of  Urumia  is  in  the  center 
of  the  fertile  plain  bearing  that  name;  but  even 
Urumia  has  suffered  at  times  from  shortage  of 
food,  while  less  fertile  regions  frequently  have  felt 
the  sharp  pangs  of  famine.  At  such  times,  starving 
people  moved  in  mobs  and  seized  food  wherever  it 
could  be  found, — in  bazaars  or  storehouses.  A child 
might  be  sold  for  wheat.  Beggars  cried  piteously 
and  people  died  on  the  streets.  In  many  instances, 
and  in  many  lands,  the  missionary  has  been  the 
leader,  in  days  of  famine,  in  calling  for  relief  and 
in  distributing  food.  On  Dr.  Cochran  sometimes 
rested  the  chief  responsibility  for  organizing  relief 
forces  in  Urumia. 

In  Eastern  lands,  where  so  little  thought  is  given 
by  the  masses  to  hygiene  and  sanitation,  plagues  of 
the  most  deadly  character  frequently  claim  thou- 
sands of  victims.  Often  medical  missionaries  are 
the  only  persons  in  large  areas  with  any  knowledge 
of  measures  to  be  adopted  for  the  prevention,  con- 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


103 


trol,  or  cure  of  the  plagues.  One  such  occasion,  in 
the  life  of  Dr.  Cochran,  was  when  cholera  was  re- 
ported on  the  shores  of  the  Caspian  Sea  and  was 
gradually  working  its  way  westward.  As  the  pes- 
tilence came  nearer  to  Urumia,  Dr.  Cochran  re- 
peatedly urged  the  governor  to  establish  quarantine, 
but  all  to  no  avail  until  it  was  too  late.  Meanwhile, 
the  medical  missionary  published  pamphlets  in 
Persian  and  Syriac  on  the  nature  of  the  plague  and 
how  it  was  communicated.  The  printed  advice  was 
widely  read;  the  native  Christian  teachers  and 
preachers  cooperating  with  the  more  enlightened 
Moslems,  Armenians,  and  Nestorians  in  the  cir- 
culation of  these  pamphlets  and  in  the  sale  of  med- 
icines. When  warnings  regarding  quarantine  had 
been  disregarded,  and  cholera  appeared  in  the  city 
of  Urumia,  Dr.  Cochran  and  his  medical  students 
gave  themselves  up  wholly  to  the  care  of  the  sick.  It 
was  estimated  that  ninety-five  per  cent  of  those 
treated  recovered  their  health.  A fine  commentary 
on  the  directing  medical  skill ! 

Dr.  Cochran  read  the  medical  journals  as  he  had 
opportunity,  and  when  in  Europe  or  America,  he 
visited  the  best  hospitals.  He  realized  the  import- 
ance of  his  medical  work  in  itself,  but  he  was  also 
a missionary  of  Christ  in  every  aspiration.  Once 
he  said : 

“ The  missionary  physician  should  endeavor  to 


104 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


be,  as  he  indeed  must  be  to  obtain  the  highest  suc- 
cess, a man  consecrated  to  Christ’s  service,  ever 
bearing  in  mind  that  he,  like  his  clerical  brother, 
represents  his  King  in  this  land;  and  everything 
that  he  does  must  conform  to  this  high  position,  so 
that  his  every  act  and  word  and  bearing  shall  preach 
his  Master’s  Gospel.”  Dr.  Cochran’s  aim  was  to 
lead  men  to  Christ.  In  personal  conversation  with 
his  patients,  in  religious  services  at  the  hospital,  in 
addresses  in  the  villages,  indeed,  in  all  his  efforts, 
he  was  a true  missionary  of  Christ. 

The  center  of  the  medical  work  was  the  hospital, 
whose  first  building  was  erected  in  1880.  It  was 
one  of  several  structures  on  the  Mission  compound, 
which  consisted  of  four  acres  on  the  banks  of  the 
Urumia  River,  two  miles  from  the  city.  Other 
buildings  were  the  college  and  the  residences  for 
missionaries.  A wall  fifteen  feet  high  enclosed  the 
compound  and  afforded  a measure  of  protection 
against  wild  tribes  that  hesitated  at  no  foul  deed. 
The  staff  consisted  of  Dr.  Cochran,  Dr.  Emma  T. 
Miller,  and  an  assistant  Persian  physician  trained 
by  Dr.  Cochran,  native  nurses,  and  a class  of  med- 
ical students.  Patients  were  received  regardless  of 
race  or  religion,  social  station,  or  ability  to  pay  for 
the  attention  received.  “ Every  day  there  came 
the  pitiable  caravan  of  woe  and  pain.”  It  was 
hardly  possible  for  the  doctor  to  journey  to  the 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


105 


city  or  to  any  village  without  being  stopped  by  some 
suffering  soul. 

In  describing  the  hospital  staff,  the  matron,  “ a 
mother  to  all  who  came  to  the  hospital,”  must  be 
remembered.  This  beloved  lady,  who  helped  to 
create  an  atmosphere  of  love  and  fellowship  among 
the  patients,  was  no  other  than  the  doctor’s  widowed 
mother. 

For  many  years  she  devoted  herself,  with  com- 
plete consecration,  to  the  work  of  the  hospital,  and 
work  of  the  most  practical  kind.  When  she  was 
over  seventy  years  old,  she  wrote  to  a friend : 

“ I have  a great  deal  to  do  this  vacation,  getting 
sheets  made  for  the  hospital  beds,  getting  quilts  and 
carpets  washed,  and  all  the  rooms  cleaned.  After 
attending  to  my  duties  as  matron,  I helped  Joseph 
get  the  dispensary  in  order.  This  morning  I read 
awhile  in  the  women’s  ward.  As  I arranged  flowers 
in  water,  and  put  a little  touch  of  prettiness  here 
and  there,  the  patients  watched  me  with  exclama- 
tions of  delight.”  In  these  few  lines  the  elder  Mrs. 
Cochran  has  drawn  a picture  of  herself  that  could 
not  be  more  complete  if  an  outsider  had  devoted 
pages  to  the  subject. 

Long  journeys  were  required  at  times,  and  the 
highwaymen  along  the  travel  routes  cared  nothing 
for  the  medical  man  whose  work  had  given  him 
such  a large  place  in  the  respect  of  those  who  knew 


io6 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


him.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  for  Dr.  Cochran 
to  travel  with  armed  escort  at  times,  and  for  mem- 
bers of  his  party  to  carry  revolvers  and  guns,  per- 
haps riding  at  night  with  hands  on  their  firearms. 
Frequently  chiefs  or  government  officials,  desiring 
medical  attendance  in  their  homes,  would  send  sol- 
diers to  protect  him.  The  land  was  full  of  dangers. 

Soon  after  the  young  physician  reached  Persia, 
the  great  Kurdish  chief,  Sheikh  Obeidullah,  who, 
next  to  the  Sultan  himself  and  the  Sherif  of  Mecca, 
was  considered  to  be  the  holiest  of  all  the  Sunni 
Mohammedans,  invited  Dr.  Cochran  to  visit  him 
in  Kurdistan  and  to  prescribe  for  him.  The  Sheikh 
was  a descendant  of  Mohammed,  was  a man  of  real 
character  in  some  respects,  and  desired  to  establish 
Kurdistan  as  a free  state  and  himself  as  governor 
of  all  the  Kurds.  He  also  desired  the  friendship 
of  foreigners,  which  may  have  prompted  the  in- 
vitation to  Dr.  Cochran,  who,  in  order  to  reach  the 
home  of  his  distinguished  patient,  traveled  two  and 
a half  days,  under  the  protection  of  a Kurdish  of- 
ficer and  fifteen  soldiers  furnished  by  the  Sheikh. 
At  Nayris,  the  capital  of  Kurdistan,  three  chiefs 
with  their  retinues  came  out  to  greet  the  physician, 
one  of  them  having  been  the  head  of  a band  of  out- 
laws who  had  attacked  Dr.  Cochran’s  father  and 
attempted  to  kill  him  twenty  years  before. 

The  doctor  was  given  a royal  reception  by  the 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


107 


Sheikh,  whom  he  found  to  be  a man  well  read  in 
Persian  and  Arabic  literature,  acquainted  with  the 
Bible,  and  apparently  a pious  man,  attempting  to 
rule  his  people  justly.  He  was  eager  to  have  the 
outside  world  know  that  in  wild  Kurdistan  there 
was  a government  with  laws  superior  to  those  of 
Persia  and  Turkey.  The  Sheikh  was  found  to  be 
quite  ill,  but  during  the  doctor’s  stay  of  one  week, 
he  desired  his  visitor  to  spend  hours  of  each  day  in 
telling  him  of  the  wonders  of  the  Western  world. 
This  visit  was  to  have  some  exciting  results  in  days 
to  come. 

Sheikh  Obeidullah  had  in  some  way  been  offended 
by  Persia.  Moreover,  he  desired  to  include  in  his 
proposed  free  state  the  Kurdish  section  of  north- 
western Persia.  His  son  was  sent  to  Urumia  to 
confer  with  the  government,  and,  very  naturally,  he 
was  entertained  by  Dr.  Cochran.  The  son’s  negotia- 
tions at  Urumia  were  disappointing,  and  a few 
weeks  later  the  Sheikh  came  down  with  an  army  and 
laid  siege  to  the  city,  after  taking  possession  of 
some  of  the  coveted  territory.  The  Kurds  living 
in  Persia,  who  had  been  sent  to  oppose  the  Sheikh, 
joined  him  in  his  attack.  At  one  city  where  he  de- 
manded food  his  messengers  were  killed,  and  in 
retaliation  he  ordered  his  soldiers,  in  taking  the  city, 
to  slay  even  women  and  children.  The  Sheikh’s 
friendship  for  Dr.  Cochran  gave  the  Mission  a sense 


io8 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


of  security,  but  the  visits  exchanged,  and  the 
friendship  which  protected  the  American  Mission 
from  the  Kurds,  led  some  of  the  Persians  in  Urumia 
to  charge  Dr.  Cochran  with  the  responsibility 
for  the  war.  The  position  of  the  Mission  was  em- 
barrassing and  perilous.  Although  the  governor 
probably  did  not  believe  the  stories,  such  talk  among 
the  people  might  lead  to  an  attack  on  the  Mission 
by  the  maddened  Persians,  or,  even  if  that  did  not 
occur,  enmity  might  be  aroused  which  would  make 
it  impossible  for  the  missionaries  ever  again  to  be 
trusted  by  the  people  whom  they  had  come  to  help. 
Meanwhile,  the  Sheikh  kept  sending  letters  to  Dr. 
Cochran,  and  knowledge  of  that  fact  caused  Per- 
sians to  believe  that  the  two  were  in  league.  Any 
attempt  to  make  explanations  to  the  governor  would 
have  angered  the  Sheikh,  whose  forces  were  de- 
stroying villages  on  every  hand. 

Finally,  the  Sheikh’s  armies  defeated  the  Per- 
sians, and  the  Kurds  advanced  upon  the  city.  At  the 
request  of  Dr.  Cochran,  the  Sheikh  ordered  his  men 
not  to  molest  non-combatants.  A fresh  Persian 
army  was  known  by  the  government  to  be  moving 
toward  Urumia,  but  the  city  seemed  certain  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  Kurds  before  it  could  arrive, 
since  no  one  was  left  to  fight  except  the  populace. 
At  that  moment,  the  Sheikh  sent  for  Dr.  Cochran, 
while  at  the  same  time  the  acting-governor  of  the 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN  109 


city  desired  him  to  ascertain  what  terms  could  be 
made  with  the  Kurds.  The  Sheikh  was  determined 
to  attack  the  city,  unless  the  people  yielded,  and  it 
seemed  futile  for  them  to  resist  such  overwhelming 
forces.  It  appeared  so  useless  to  sacrifice  the  city 
and  its  people  that  Dr.  Cochran  and  the  British  con- 
sul at  first  advised  the  acting-governor  to  surrender. 
They  consented,  however,  to  ask  the  Sheikh  to  allow 
the  city  one  more  day  to  come  to  terms.  The  Sheikh 
replied  that,  for  Dr.  Cochran’s  sake,  he  would  delay 
the  attack  until  three  o’clock  the  next  afternoon. 
At  three  o’clock  the  next  day,  the  hordes  of  Kurds 
moved  upon  the  city,  but  the  governor  had  just 
arrived  with  about  two  thousand  men.  When  the 
Kurds  were  seen  advancing,  Dr.  Cochran  was  im- 
portuned to  go  out  and  meet  the  Sheikh  and  request 
a further  delay.  He  told  them  it  was  too  late,  but 
he  would  try.  Upon  failing  to  reach  the  Sheikh,  and 
being  told  that  he  would  not  listen  again,  the  doctor 
turned  his  horse  and  rode  quickly  towards  the  city. 

“ What  shall  we  do  ? What  shall  we  do  ? ” cried 
those  in  authority. 

“ Surrender,”  said  Dr.  Cochran,  “ if  you  cannot 
keep  the  city.  If  you  can,  then  fight;  that  is  your 
duty.” 

With  the  resistance  of  the  army  just  arrived,  the 
Sheikh  found  he  could  not  force  an  entrance  into  the 
walled  city  in  an  hour,  nor  in  a night.  The  delay 


no 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


of  twenty- four  hours  had  played  havoc  with  the 
Sheikh’s  plans.  Fresh  troops  had  quickly  made  the 
walls  defensible,  for  at  least  a time.  Then  came 
the  report  that  Turkish  troops  were  on  the  border, 
with  orders  to  the  Sheikh,  who  was  nominally  a sub- 
ject of  Turkey,  to  abandon  his  invasion  of  Persia. 
The  people  of  Urumia  proclaimed  Dr.  Cochran  the 
savior  of  their  city,  since  he  had  negotiated  the 
delay  of  twenty-four  hours,  which  allowed  the 
Persian  general  to  bring  in  his  army  in  the  nick  of 
time. 

On  one  occasion,  when  a man  of  lofty  station 
was  about  to  visit  Urumia,  Dr.  Cochran  went  with 
many  others  to  greet  the  potentate.  In  Persia, 
every  available  doctor  is  consulted,  as  a matter  of 
course,  and  a proper  verdict  is  expected,  even  after 
a casual  examination  of  pulse  and  tongue.  When 
Dr.  Cochran  greeted  the  titled  visitor,  the  latter  at 
once  extended  his  wrist,  expecting  an  exact  diagno- 
sis in  consequence.  Dr.  Cochran,  however,  with 
his  knowledge  of  Persian  etiquette,  was  quite  equal 
to  the  occasion.  After  feeling  his  pulse,  the  pos- 
sible patient  demanded  to  know  “ how  it  felt.”  “ It 
feels,”  gravely  responded  the  doctor,  “as  if  royal 
blood  were  coursing  through  it.” 

Did  the  Oriental  mind  detect  the  humor? 

The  busy  physician  could  secure  little  rest  any- 
where in  Persia.  He  might  close  his  hospital  and 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


in 


take  to  the  hills,  but  suffering  humanity  sought  him 
there.  After  ten  years  of  taxing  service,  he  was 
compelled  to  seek  rest  in  America. 

“ Hakim  Sahib  ” 1 was  the  name  given  to  Dr. 
Cochran  throughout  Persia.  Upon  his  return  from 
a second  furlough,  after  twenty  years  of  missionary 
service,  the  announcement  that  “ Hakim  Sahib  ” 
had  come  back  was  received  with  enthusiasm  in 
Urumia.  Three  hours’  travel  from  the  city,  a large 
company  met  him.  Numerous  Christian  converts 
greeted  him.  The  Persian  governor  and  other 
dignitaries  sent  personal  representatives  to  partici- 
pate in  the  welcome.  A carriage  with  outriders  was 
sent  by  a Mohammedan  nobleman  for  “ Hakim 
Sahib’s  ” use.  Later  came  three  other  carriages 
offered  by  the  nobility.  Three  handsomely  capari- 
soned horses  were  sent  by  Persian  officers  to  be  led 
in  front  of  Dr.  Cochran’s  carriage.  The  proces- 
sion grew  until  it  included  hundreds  of  persons  as 
it  neared  the  city.  In  a few  days  all  the  prominent 
noblemen  near  by  and  some  Mohammedan  leaders 
had  called  on  him.  In  a letter  to  America  the 
modest  man  merely  said : “ I had  planned  to  write 
you  by  the  first  post  after  our  arrival,  but  my  time 
has  been  very  fully  occupied  by  the  numerous  calls 

1 Hakim  is  the  Persian  word  for  doctor,  and  Sahib,  meaning 
master  or  sir,  is  the  respectful  term  of  address  applied  to 
foreigners  in  Persia  and  India. 


I 


112  MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 

from  all  classes  and  creeds.  We  have  had  a very- 
cordial  and  hearty  welcome  back.”  Who  would 
guess,  from  this  simple  statement,  the  honors  and 
the  goodwill  that  had  greeted  him ! 

The  gratitude  of  the  poor  people  in  distant  vil- 
lages was  often  very  touching  in  its  expression 
when  they  discovered  “ Hakim  Sahib  ” in  their 
midst.  Once  he  related  this  incident: 

“ Returning  from  Tabriz  last  fall,  I came  to  a 
Kurdish  village.  I was  acquainted  with  the  chief 
of  the  village,  and  knew  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  me  to  make  myself  known  to  him  without  being 
delayed,  and  I had  promised  to  spend  that  night 
some  fifteen  miles  further  on  with  a Khan  [noble- 
man] who  was  ill.  I had  told  the  men  who  were 
with  me  that  I did  not  wish  them  to  inform  any 
one  about  the  village  who  I was.  As  I sat  under 
one  of  the  trees  and  began  to  eat  my  lunch,  one 
elderly  Kurd  came  up  towards  me,  and  took  a seat 
at  a little  distance  from  me  and  somewhat  behind 
me.  He  was  inclined  to  be  very  sociable  and  full 
of  inquiries,  while  I was  reserved.  He  finally  asked 
me  if  my  head  comprehended  any  medicine;  and  I 
replied  that  it  depended  upon  the  gravity  of  the 
case  that  he  wished  to  report  to  me.  He  told  me  of 
the  symptoms  of  his  son’s  illness,  and  said,  ‘ Oh, 
if  I could  only  get  him  to  that  American  doctor 
that  lives  in  Urumia,  and  have  him  kept  in  the  hos- 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


1 13 


pital  a little  while,  I know  he  would  get  well,  for  I 
was  treated  there  myself  for  pneumonia  about 
twenty  years  ago;  and,  aside  from  being  cured  of 
my  disease,  they  did  so  much  for  me,  and  were  so 
kind  to  me,  that  I should  have  been  willing  to  have 
been  sick  there  all  my  life.  Especially  was  the  doc- 
tor’s mother  kind  to  me.’  As  he  spoke  he  gradually 
approached  me,  and  I noticed  that  he  was  scanning 
me  closely;  finally,  he  caught  hold  of  my  shoe,  and 
pressing  my  foot,  he  said,  ‘ I swear,  I half  believe, 
that  you  are  that  doctor  yourself ! I swear  you  are 
that  doctor!  I adjure  you,  by  the  living  God,  tell 
me,  are  you  not  ? ’ He  was  now  clinging  to  me  and 
wringing  the  skirts  of  my  coat.  When  I had  to 
admit  that  I was  the  man  he  described,  he  made 
me  promise  to  wait  until  he  could  bring  to  me  his 
son.  Soon  he  returned,  with  his  son  on  the  back  of 
another  man,  with  his  wife  and  his  son’s  wife,  and 
several  little  children,  and  four  or  five  neighbors. 
They  came  laden  with  clover  for  my  horses,  they 
brought  bread  and  butter  and  milk  and  curds.  Al- 
though I had  eaten  my  lunch,  they  insisted  that  I 
eat  their  bread,  so  I partook  of  this  gift,  and  then 
they  took  the  remainder  and  made  my  men  finish  it, 
while  the  horses  were  made  to  eat  their  clover  in- 
stead of  that  which  we  had  already  bought.  I 
prescribed  for  their  sick,  and  then  mounted  and 
rode  off,  with  five  or  six  of  these  men  as  my  escort 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


1 14 

on  foot.  They  wished  to  come  with  me  all  the  way 
to  the  end  of  my  stage,  as  they  feared  I might  be 
robbed,  it  was  getting  so  late,  but  I declined  their 
offer  and  hurried  on.” 

His  sister  wrote  of  him: 

“ I remember  a journey  to  Van,  Turkey,  in  1886, 
I think.  Coming  back,  we  took  a cut  right  through 
the  mountains  among  the  wildest  Kurds.  Almost 
everywhere  we  were  asked  if  we  were  the  people  of 
the  ‘ Hakim  Sahib,’  and  great  was  their  delight 
when  they  found  that  he  himself  was  there.  One 
night,  after  a very  bad  day  of  pouring  rain,  during 
which  the  packhorse  with  the  bedding  got  carried 
down  by  a mountain  torrent  for  some  distance, 
soaking  the  bedding,  we  at  last  halted  at  a little 
village,  way  up  among  the  clouds  and  snows,  though 
it  was  summer.  We  were  nearly  frozen,  for  it  was 
a great  altitude,  the  horses  were  exhausted,  and 
we  ourselves  dripping.  Now,  every  one  who  has 
lived  in  Persia  knows  that  if  there  is  anything  more 
objectionable  to  a fanatical  Moslem  than  an  ordin- 
ary Christian,  it  is  a wet  one,  and  these  mountain 
villagers  seemed  the  most  fanatical  of  the  fanatic, 
and  not  even  a stable  was  open  to  us.  From  hovel 
to  hovel  we  went,  offering  good  pay,  and  at  last  it 
seemed  as  if  we  should  have  to  put  up  our  wet 
tent  and  sleep  under  it,  while  the  poor  horses  wTere 
in  the  open.  Just  then  a man  came  along,  and  peer- 


Courtesy  of  the  Fleming  H.  Revell  Company. 

DR.  COCHRAN  AND  KURDISH  PATIENTS 


THE  KURDS  WERE  A WILD  AND  LAWLESS  PEOPLE,  THOUGH 
THERE  WERE  MANY  OF  THEM  WHO  TREATED  DR.  COCHRAN 
WITH  FRIENDLINESS  AND  VISITED  HIS  HOSPITAL. 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


ii5 

mg  into  Joe’s  face,  gave  a cry,  and  seized  his  coat, 
and  began  kissing  it.  It  was  the  old  story — a hos- 
pital patient — and  we  knew  our  troubles  were  over. 
The  best  he  had,  which  was  a large  room  inhabited 
by  his  whole  family  and  the  animals  to  boot,  was 
at  our  disposal,  and  the  shivering  horses  were  led 
in,  too.  We  found  the  corner,  which  was  the  living- 
room,  swept  clean,  and  with  some  signs  of  comfort, 
and  the  beaming  host  explained  to  us  that  on  his 
return  he  had  tried  to  teach  his  wife  to  keep  things 
clean  as  the  ‘great  lady’  did  the  hospital.  I re- 
member with  what  trouble  Joe  persuaded  them  the 
next  morning  to  accept  at  least  enough  to  cover  the 
actual  food  and  fodder  used  by  us — they  were  ev- 
idently very,  very  poor,  but  they  did  not  wish  pay. 
That  evening  half  the  village  came  in,  and  many 
said,  in  a half-astonished  way,  ‘ if  you  had  only  told 
us  at  the  beginning  who  you  were,  none  would  have 
refused  you  shelter,  for  many  of  our  tribe  have  been 
in  your  hospital,  and  have  told  us  of  you  and  your 
mother,  who  is  as  a mother  to  all  the  sick ! ’ ” 

It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  any  one  could  hate 
such  an  apostle  of  loving  service,  but  even  “ Hakim 
Sahib  ” incurred  the  bitter  enmity  of  certain  Kurds 
by  seeking  to  have  them  brought  to  justice  for  their 
deliberate  murder  of  blameless  Christian  people. 
He  soon  knew  that  he  was  a marked  man;  that  the 
Kurds  would  slay  him  at  the  first  opportunity. 


Ii6 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Such  a strain  was  already  telling  on  his  health,  when 
a tragic  occurrence  cast  the  mission  and  the  entire 
Christian  community  into  gloom.  On  March  4, 
1904,  several  of  the  missionaries  started  for  Russia. 
Dr.  Cochran’s  enemies  understood  that  he  would  be 
one  of  the  party,  and  they  arranged  with  confeder- 
ates to  follow  and,  when  outside  of  the  Urumia  dis- 
trict, to  kill  the  physician.  The  Kurds  had  been 
misinformed,  for  Rev.  B.  W.  Labaree,  and  not  Dr. 
Cochran,  was  to  accompany  the  party.  Mistaking 
Mr.  Labaree  for  Dr.  Cochran,  the  Kurds  cruelly 
murdered  him  in  one  of  the  mountain  passes. 

Mr.  Labaree’s  death  caused  Dr.  Cochran  pro- 
found grief.  His  hair  whitened  rapidly,  as  he 
dwelt  on  the  thought  of  a person  dying  in  his  stead. 
However,  he  was  never  free  from  a sense  of  peril. 
He  could  sit  in  no  room  at  night  without  drawing 
the  shades.  Think  what  this  meant!  The  cruel 
Kurds  might  secrete  themselves  anywhere  to  mur- 
der the  man  who  wished  to  bring  them  to  justice  for 
some  of  their  foul  deeds.  The  strain  was  too 
severe.  At  last,  as  he  was  visiting  his  patients,  he 
fell  ill  with  a fever  that  stole  his  senses. 

The  illness  of  the  good  man  plunged  the  populace 
into  grief.  Congregations  on  Sunday  abandoned 
the  usual  form  of  service  and  gave  themselves  to 
supplication  for  his  recovery.  Moslems  joined 
Christians  in  prayer.  Some  Mohammedans  ex- 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


1117 


claimed,  “ Would  that  God  would  take  us  and 
spare  him ! ” A little  boy  in  the  hospital  said  he 
would  be  happy  if  only  he  and  his  mother  could  die 
in  place  of  “ Hakim  Sahib.”  But  the  end  was  at 
hand.  On  August  18,  1905,  this  loyal  servant  of 
God  went  to  his  eternal  home. 

Syrians  wept,  and  many  Moslems  wore  mourning 
for  a Christian.  Seldom  have  so  many  religions 
been  represented  at  a single  gathering,  for  at  the 
funeral  were  Christians  of  the  mission,  Syrians, 
Russian  ecclesiastics,  Chaldeans,  Moslems,  Kurds, 
mountaineers  and  Persian  noblemen.  A native 
preacher  said  in  his  address : 

“ The  glory  of  Urumia  has  departed  with  the  de- 
parture of  Dr.  Joseph  P.  Cochran.  The  splendor, 
the  ornament  of  the  country  is  gone,  since  the  great- 
est, the  saintliest  man  who  ever  lived  in  it  has  gone 
forever.” 

A missionary  associate,  Rev.  R.  M.  Labaree,  who 
had  left  a pulpit  in  America  to  take  up  the  work  of 
his  martyred  brother,  wrote  of  Dr.  Cochran  as 
follows : 

“ For  days  the  governor  and  the  principal  men  of 
Urumia  had  been  sending  around  men  to  inquire  as 
to  his  condition;  missionaries  and  every  one  con- 
nected with  us  were  repeatedly  stopped  in  the 
streets  by  total  strangers  to  be  asked  in  regard  to 
him.  The  last  night  of  his  life  all  the  people  in  the 


ii8 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


college  yards  assembled  about  the  house,  weeping, 
and  several  slipped  up  quietly  to  get  one  more 
glimpse  of  the  face  they  loved  so  well  as  he  lay  on 
his  bed,  unconsciously  breathing  out  his  life.  And 
when  the  end  came,  every  one  in  Urumia  felt  that 
he  had  lost  a personal  friend — people  in  every  walk 
of  life,  from  the  governor,  who  burst  into  tears  on 
hearing  of  the  news,  to  the  poorest  beggar.  . * . 
What  sort  of  man  was  this  who  could  so  impress 
himself  upon  high  and  low,  upon  Nestorian  of  every 
form  of  faith,  upon  Persian,  Armenian,  Jew,  and 
even  Kurd,  as  his  own  personal  friend!  And  I 
could  not  but  think  how  cheap  would  have  been  the 
reputation  and  wealth  that  doctor  could  have  easily 
attained  in  the  homeland  compared  with  the  love 
and  the  trust  and  the  almost  worship  that  he  has 
won  here  in  Persia.” 

Concerning  the  value  of  his  services  in  Persia, 
Dr.  Cochran  was  rarely  modest.  Seldom  could  he 
be  persuaded  to  speak  of  his  own  work.  “ In  1889,” 
wrote  one  of  his  sisters,  “ when  my  brother  visited 
my  home  in  Sparta,  N.  Y.,  he  yielded  to  my  wishes, 
and  spoke  in  our  church  one  Sunday  evening.  It 
was  always  hard  for  him  to  talk  about  work  in 
which  he  had  taken  a prominent  part.  I wanted 
him  to  tell  about  the  circumstances  leading  to  his 
receiving  the  decoration  from  the  Shah,  and  to 
show  the  stars  to  the  audience.  But  with  his  char- 


JOSEPH  PLUMB  COCHRAN 


119 

acteristic  modesty  he  went  to  the  service  without 
them,  and  they  were  only  shown  when  my  husband 
in  the  pulpit,  against  my  brother’s  protest,  fastened 
them  upon  his  coat  while  he  was  speaking.” 

What  was  the  secret  of  “ Hakim  Sahib’s  ” 
power?  What  was  the  secret  by  which  he  caused 
all  men  to  look  upon  him  as  a brother  and  a friend  ? 
The  answer  is  simple.  In  response  to  a disciple’s 
faith  and  self-surrender,  the  Christ  was  living  again 
through  the  disciple  before  the  people  of  Persia; 
and  “ The  Life  was  the  Light  of  Men.’’ 


.VI 

CATHERINE 


MABIE 


American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society. 

CATHERINE  L.  MABIE 
OF  THE  CONGO. 


“ WITH  THE  MASTER’S  CLEAR  CALL  TO  AFRICA  RINGING 
IN  MY  SOUL,  I CANNOT,  I DARE  NOT,  GO  ELSEWHERE.” 


yi 


CATHERINE  L.  MABIE 

“\7 OU  might  as  well  try  to  convert  cattle ! You 
might  as  well  try  to  convert  cattle ! ” The 
American  visitor  to  an  interior  Congo  village,  with 
its  inhabitants  who  seemed  so  little  removed  in 
nature  from  the  animals  of  the  jungle,  did  not  be- 
lieve it,  but  the  words  attributed  to  Darwin  came 
to  his  mind  and  somehow  they  would  not  go  away. 
“You  might  as  well  try  to  convert  cattle!” 

The  village  was  on  the  bank  of  the  great  Congo 
River,  four  hundred  miles  from  the  mouth  of  that 
dark  torrent,  which  flows  for  thirty-five  hundred 
miles  on  its  course  from  its  fountain-head  to  the 
sea;  and  serves,  with  its  almost  innumerable  trib- 
utaries, to  drain  the  jungles  of  the  great  basin  of 
Central  Africa.  Here  Henry  M.  Stanley  had 
paused  on  his  journey  of  nine  hundred  and  ninety- 
nine  days  across  the  Dark  Continent,  when  he  fol- 
lowed the  Congo  River  for  the  greater  part  of  its 
course,  and  drifted  in  dugout  canoes  on  its  swift 
current,  except  when  he  encountered  long  stretches 
of  cataracts  for  which  the  stream  is  famous.  The 


123 


124 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


man  who,  on  an  earlier  tour  in  Africa,  had  found 
Livingstone,  and  who  afterwards  went  to  the  relief 
of  Emin  Pasha,  had  hardly  been  acclaimed  as  the 
first  man  to  succeed  in  crossing  Equatorial  Africa, 
before  certain  benevolent  Englishmen  began  to  plan 
for  the  missionary  occupation  of  the  country. 

Stanley  reported  on  the  appearance,  customs,  and 
general  character  of  the  people,  in  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Congo.  None  of  these  natives,  living 
far  from  the  seacoast,  had  ever  seen  a white  man. 
The  people  were  amazed  not  only  at  the  color  of 
Stanley’s  face,  but  perhaps  fully  as  much  by  the 
fact  that  he  was  dressed,  or  that  he  was  “ in  cloth,” 
as  they  expressed  it.  So  they  did  not  call  him  the 
white  man.  They  called  him  “ Mundeli,”  which 
literally  means  “ in  cloth.”  To  this  day,  all  over 
Congo  Land,  the  Bantu  people  call  the  white  man 
“ Mundeli.”  Later,  when  the  white  man  began  to 
use  dynamite  to  remove  stones  that  obstructed  the 
passage  of  steamers  on  the  lower  Congo,  they  gave 
Stanley  the  special  name  “ Bula  Matadi,”  or 
“ Breaker  of  Rocks,”  which  name  was  used,  too, 
for  the  government  he  established,  the  old  Congo 
Independent  State.  It  has  been  passed  on,  even 
until  now,  as  the  title  the  natives  use  in  speaking 
of  the  foreign  administration  of  affairs  in  their 
land,  now  a colony  of  Belgium. 

The  missionaries  found  an  unpromising  people, 


CATHERINE  L.  MABIE 


125 


the  dark  brown  negroes  of  the  great  Bantu  tribe. 
These  objects  of  missionary  effort  were  low  in  the 
scale  of  human  progress,  being  among  the  most 
primitive  of  the  primitive  races.  They  had  never 
even  dreamed  of  a written  language,  and  they  were 
scantily  clothed.  Many  women  wore  heavy  brass 
collars  weighing  twenty-five  pounds  or  more. 
These  collars  were  slipped  over  their  heads  when 
they  were  girls.  When  they  became  women,  the 
burdensome  decorations  could  be  removed  only  by 
cutting  the  collars  with  files.  In  sections  where 
cannibalism  prevailed,  men’s  teeth  often  were  filed 
to  sharp  points.  Slavery  was  common.  Polygamy 
was  popular.  A great  chief  might  possess  scores, 
or  even  hundreds,  of  wives,  some  of  whom  very 
likely  would  be  buried  alive  with  his  dead  body. 
The  unseen  world  was  full  of  evil  powers,  and  the 
hope  of  the  people  was  in  fetishes,  which  they  be- 
lieved would  ward  off  the  evil  spirits.  There  was 
a god,  Nzambi,  but  he  was  far  off  and  cared  noth- 
ing for  them.  They  believed  him  cruel,  too,  since 
the  forces  about  them  seemed  cruel.  Why  should 
they  themselves  be  otherwise? 

Was  it  strange,  therefore,  that  the  American 
visitor  to  the  Mission  station,  four  hundred  miles 
up  the  Congo  River,  after  seeing  such  creatures 
slipping  into  their  small,  dark,  grass  houses,  should 
recall  Darwin’s  words  ? That  night,  on  the  Mission 


126 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


compound,  which  lies  between  two  Bantu  villages, 
he  fell  asleep  with  strange  pictures  floating  through 
his  brain.  And  with  the  pictures  came  the  words 
that  would  not  down,  “ You  might  as  well  try  to 
convert  cattle ! ” 

But  the  next  moment,  apparently,  there  wras  more 
evidence  that  must  be  considered.  It  was  again 
daytime.  The  visitor  was  wakened  by  singing  in 
the  chapel  beyond  the  cocoanut  palms  and  banana 
trees.  The  words  were  strange,  but  the  tunes  were 
familiar:  “We  Have  Heard  the  Joyful  Sound, 
Jesus  Saves;”  “Jesus,  Lover  of  My  Soul;” 
“ Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee.” 

And  they  did  more  than  sing.  The  two  hundred 
members  of  the  church  worshiping  there  were  sup- 
porting sixteen  of  their  own  number  as  teachers 
and  evangelists  in  the  villages  of  the  hinterland. 
It  had  been  only  a third  of  a century  since  Stanley 
passed  that  way  the  first  time,  and  not  as  long  since 
the  missionaries  had  begun  their  work  in  Congo. 

Among  such  a people,  although  at  another  station 
than  the  one  to  which  reference  has  been  made,  a 
young  American  woman  felt  called  of  God  to  spend 
her  life.  And  she  had  no  doubt  as  to  her  divine 
call.  When  she  applied 'for  appointment  to  the  Wo- 
men’s American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society, 
she  was  asked  if  she  was  willing  to  go  where  her 
services  appeared  to  be  most  needed.  She  wrote 


CATHERINE  L.  MABIE 


127 


frankly  in  reply,  “ With  the  Master’s  clear  call  to 
Africa  ringing  in  my  soul,  I cannot,  dare  not,  go 
elsewhere.” 

This  young  woman  was  Dr.  Catherine  L.  Mabie, 
the  daughter  of  John  S.  and  Catherine  L.  Roe  Ma- 
bie, who  were  living  at  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  when 
their  daughter  was  born.  Regarding  the  influences 
that  were  responsible  for  her  missionary  ambition, 
she  has  written,  by  request,  as  follows : 

“ I have  a strong  conviction  that  hereditary 
forces  were  far  more  potent  than  environment  or 
training,  in  my  decision  to  enter  missionary  service. 
A long  line  of  godly  ancestors  had  devoted  their 
own  and  their  children’s  lives  to  interpreting  God’s 
love  to  their  fellows — from  Greatgrandfather 
Steadman,  the  genial  founder  of  Mechanics’  In- 
stitute and  Rawdon  College  in  old  Yorkshire,  inti- 
mate comrade  also  of  William  Carey,  to  Mother, 
who  like  Hannah  of  old  prayed  for  a son  and  that 
he  might  be  a missionary.” 

Dr.  Catherine  L.  Mabie,  who  never  knew  her 
mother,  had  not  the  slightest  suspicion  of  her  moth- 
er’s ambitions  and  prayers  until  after  her  appoint- 
ment as  a missionary,  when  it  was  revealed  to  her 
as  a wonderful  confirmation  of  a right  choice  of 
life-work.  “A  friend’s  quiet  question  as  to  why  I 
did  not  enter  foreign  missionary  service,  was  the 
first  force  of  which  I was  conscious  in  the  choice 


128 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


of  work.  But  back  of  it  were  older,  more  potent, 
impelling,  and  staying  forces.” 

Before  taking  up  the  study  of  medicine  at  Hahne- 
man  Medical  College,  Chicago,  where  she  received 
her  degree,  Miss  Mabie  had  taught  for  two  years  in 
the  public  schools  of  that  city,  an  experience  which 
was  a delight  to  her.  It  helped  to  prepare  her  for 
the  demands  that  would  be  made  on  her  in  later 
years  in  assisting  in  the  development  of  the  educa- 
tional mission  work  in  Congo.  Soon  after  the 
completion  of  her  studies,  she  was  on  her  way  to 
Africa. 

The  voyage  to  Africa,  in  the  summer  of  1898, 
was  a trying  experience  for  the  rather  timid  young 
woman.  The  steamer  “ down  the  West  Coast  ” 
was  not  comfortable,  with  the  captain  and  many  of 
the  passengers  drinking  to  excess  every  night. 
Then  there  was  another  and  a harder  experience. 
The  young  woman’s  heart  had  been  strangely 
drawn  to  the  black  people  of  Africa,  but  she  had 
not  been  thrown  into  contact  with  the  negroes  in 
America.  At  Sierra  Leone,  the  first  port  of  call 
on  her  voyage  to  Africa,  the  native  boys,  in  their 
scanty  clothing,  came  scrambling  up  the  sides  of  the 
steamer,  from  their  canoes,  like  so  many  black  ants. 

“ It  struck  me  squarely  between  the  eyes,”  she 
wrote.  “ Could  I ever  really  care  enough  for  these 
people  to  live  among  them,  and  serve  them,  and  be 


CATHERINE  L.  MABIE 


129 


to  them  in  my  measure  what  Jesus  was  to  the 
people  among  whom  he  lived?  For  days  I was 
blind.  I knew  perfectly  well  that,  unless  I could 
so  care  for  them,  I might  just  as  well  turn  around 
and  go  home,  for  only  so  could  it  prove  worth  while 
to  plant  myself  among  them.” 

Upon  her  arrival  in  Congo,  she  was  assigned  to 
Banza  Manteke,  where  some  years  earlier  there  had 
occurred  a very  remarkable  religious  awakening 
among  the  natives,  under  the  preaching  and  living 
of  the  Rev.  Henry  Richards.  When  she  sat  at  the 
communion  table  the  first  time,  with  four  other 
missionaries  and  five  hundred  black  people,  decently 
clothed  and  rejoicing  in  a religion  which  cast  out 
the  fear  of  evil  spirits  and  death,  she  received  her 
spiritual  sight  and  realized  that  she  cared  enough  to 
stay.  They  would  soon  understand  that  she 
“ cared.”  Perhaps  they  would  come  to  know  that 
Nzambi  (by  which  name  they  alluded  to  the  Sav- 
ior) cared,  for  she  claimed  to  be  Nzambi’s  serv- 
ant. In  time  they  did  come  to  know,  and  they 
called  her  “ Nzambi’s  Doctor,”  a title  given  to 
more  than  one  medical  missionary  in  that  land  of 
fear,  sickness,  and  death. 

Dr.  Mabie  found  no  well-appointed  hospital  for 
her  use  at  Banza  Manteke.  A small  wooden  dis- 
pensary had  been  erected  at  that  place  by  an  earlier 
i medical  missionary,  Dr.  Leslie.  A few  feet  away 
\ 


130 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


from  that  structure  there  was  another  small  build- 
ing with  walls  and  roof  of  corrugated  iron — two 
bare  rooms,  by  courtesy  called  a hospital.  But  she 
did  not  wait  for  better  equipment.  Year  after  year 
she  made  use  of  what  she  had,  and  gave  a striking 
example  of  what  a doctor  can  do,  as  physician  and 
religious  teacher,  with  next  to  nothing  in  the  way 
of  a hospital.  She  realized,  however,  that  the  work 
would  have  been  done  better,  from  the  professional 
viewpoint,  and  possibly  more  people  might  have 
been  treated,  with  proper  equipment.  Still,  diffi- 
cult operations  were  performed  in  “ the  little  tin 
hospital.” 

Hundreds  came  there  for  help.  Among  them 
was  an  old  chief,  badly  lacerated  by  a buffalo  he  had 
wounded.  His  girl-wife  was  charged  by  a jealous 
older  wife  with  having  cast  an  evil  eye  on  the  fetish, 
when  she  fastened  it  to  the  old  man’s  wrist  as  he 
left  his  home  to  hunt  the  buffalo.  When  fever  set 
in  and  his  mind  began  to  wander,  the  witch-doctor 
of  the  village  bled  him  “ to  let  out  the  evil  spirits.” 
Meanwhile,  little  Nsimba,  the  chief’s  nephew,  re- 
called that  in  one  of  the  market-places  he  had  heard 
of  the  white  woman  doctor  at  Banza  Manteke  who 
had  done  wonderful  things  for  the  sick  and 
wounded.  Perhaps  she  could  help  his  uncle.  The 
chief  was  willing  to  make  the  experiment.  So  they 
placed  him  in  a red  blanket  tied  to  a bamboo  pole, 


American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society. 

“MEDICINE  HOUSE”  AND  THE  “LITTLE  TIN 


HOSPITAL”  AT  BANZA  MANTEKE. 


“ A SMALL  WOODEN  DISPENSARY  HAD  BEEN  ERECTED  BY  AN 
EARLIER  MEDICAL  MISSIONARY.  A FEW  FEET  AWAY  FROM 
THAT  STRUCTURE  THERE  WAS  ANOTHER  SMALL  BUILDING  WITH 
WALLS  AND  ROOF  OF  CORRUGATED  IRON — TWO  BARE  ROOMS,  BY 
COURTESY  CALLED  A HOSPITAL.” 


CATHERINE  L.  MABIE 


131 


and,  with  all  his  wives  and  relatives,  he  was  taken 
the  several  days’  journey  to  the  Mission  hospital. 
At  first  it  seemed  as  if  he  could  not  live,  but  in  time 
he  was  well  and  able  to  return  to  his  own  village. 
And  little  Nsimba  was  left  behind  with  the  doctor, 
to  attend  the  Mission  school  and  to  learn  to  dress 
wounds. 

The  people  came  great  distances  for  treatment, 
often  expecting  immediate  relief,  or  to  be  able  to 
take  home  next  day  sufficient  medicine  to  insure  re- 
covery. On  a busy  day,  before  the  bell  announced 
the  opening  of  the  dispensary,  the  crowd  gathered, 
— men,  women,  and  children — all  carrying  jars, 
cups,  tins,  or  bottles,  seeking  medicine  for  them- 
selves or  their  friends.  Occasionally  one  would 
bring  a dozen  receptacles,  from  as  many  sick  people 
in  his  village,  and  be  able  to  tell  little  regarding 
the  ailment  of  any  one  of  the  sufferers.  Often,  to 
the  native,  medicine  and  magic  are  synonymous; 
hence  the  “ medicine  man  ” or  witch-doctor  of  Cen- 
tral Africa.  The  native  African  attributes  all 
physical  suffering  to  the  work  of  demons.  Persons 
suffering  from  epilepsy  and  insanity  are  thought 
to  be  possessed  of  evil  spirits.  Was  it  not  like  this 
in  the  days  of  Christ? 

The  natives  have  a few  astonishing  remedies  of 
their  own;  for  instance,  in  certain  cases  the  flesh 
is  cut  or  blistered;  in  other  cases,  red  pepper  is 


132 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


blown  into  the  nostrils  or  eyes.  Aching  teeth  are 
dug  out.  But  the  witch-doctor  is  the  chief  reliance 
in  sickness;  and  since  the  native  “ medicine  man  ” is 
supposed  to  deal  chiefly  with  the  spirit-world  in  re- 
lieving sickness,  he  is  the  nearest  approach  to  a 
religious  teacher,  so  the  medical  missionary  finds 
a field  peculiarly  prepared  for  spiritual  work.  Into 
such  a world  of  superstition  and  intense  fear  of 
death  went  the  medical  missionary,  healing  the  sick 
and  “ looking  death  squarely  in  the  eyes  and  hold- 
ing him  at  bay.” 

Dr.  Mabie  has  done  her  part  in  driving  out  small- 
pox, which  was  once  a dreadful  scourge  everywhere 
in  Congo  Land.  The  Belgian  government  gladly 
furnishes  all  doctors  with  vaccine.  Dr.  Mabie  has 
done  her  part  in  teaching  the  natives  that  the 
“ sleeping  sickness,”  which  has  carried  off  millions 
of  persons  in  Central  Africa,  may  be  avoided  if  one 
escapes  the  bite  of  the  tsetse  fly,  and  a wide  cam- 
paign of  education  in  this  matter  has  been  conducted 
in  the  villages.  She  has  done  her  part,  too,  in  teach- 
ing the  people  how  to  combat  tuberculosis;  and, 
with  a woman’s  heart,  she  has  done  a great  deal  to 
relieve  persistent  skin  disorders  in  little  children. 

But  her  chief  interest  in  these  people  is  in  their 
deliverance  from  their  spiritual  disease  and  bond- 
age. “ To  make  God  near  and  dear  to  those  afraid 
of  Him  ” is  the  object  of  her  service.  Medicine  and 


CATHERINE  L.  MABIE 


133 


surgery  are  parables  through  which  she  seeks  to 
interpret  the  love  of  Christ.  What  could  be  better 
than  to  teach  such  children  of  the  hill  and  jungle 
that  God  is  love,  and  that  no  one  should  be  afraid 
of  Him? 

From  the  beginning  of  her  work,  Dr.  Mabie  re- 
garded the  dispensary  and  the  “ little  tin  hospital  ” 
as  experiment  stations  for  the  propagation  of  the 
Christian  doctrine.  Back  to  their  villages  the 
patients  went,  disseminating  new  thoughts,  the  very 
newest  and  strangest  of  which  was  that  Nzambi  is 
loving  and  merciful,  and  never  far  off  from  those 
who  seek  him.  Every  night  these  new  thoughts 
were  talked  over  as  darkness  settled  over  Africa, 
and  returned  patients  repeated  to  their  neighbors 
around  the  village  fire  the  wonderful  new  messages 
that  regenerate  hearts  and  transform  lives.  And 
since  personality,  rather  than  material  equipment 
in  itself,  is  the  needful  power,  Dr.  Mabie  gave  her- 
self, happy  in  the  consciousness  that  she  might  be 
like  a spring  in  the  desert,  imparting  life  to  others. 
She  found  a bright  side  to  her  lack  of  equipment, 
since  a good  hospital-plant  with  a large  body  of 
patients  would  have  made  it  impossible  for  her  to 
do  work  in  other  settlements.  The  village  work  and 
cross-country  tours,  with  native  assistants,  gave 
opportunity  to  heal  the  sick  and  to  relieve  hearts 
of  the  terrifying  fear  of  the  unseen. 


134 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Since  there  was  no  appropriation  from  the  Board 
to  cover  the  expense  of  country  tours,  the  doctor 
decided  that  the  people  of  every  village  desiring  a 
visit  should  furnish  transportation  for  her  and  her 
supplies.  This  they  always  did,  cheerfully.  Eight 
porters  were  required  for  hammock,  bed,  small  tin 
trunk,  chop-box  [food]  and  medicine-chest.  A 
tent  was  not  needed,  for  usually  the  best  grass-hut 
in  the  village  was  made  ready  for  her.  She  always 
traveled  overland,  in  a hammock  suspended  from  a 
long  bamboo  pole  resting  on  the  shoulders  of  two 
or  more  strong  porters.  This  is  the  only  practi- 
cable mode  of  transportation  in  many  sections  away 
from  the  watercourse,  where  there  are  no  roads 
except  the  narrow,  rough  paths  that  are  at  times 
overhung  with  the  tall  elephant-grass,  twelve  feet 
or  more  in  height. 

Sometimes  swollen  streams  proved  troublesome. 
Once  she  and  the  porters  waited  three  hours  on  a 
river  bank,  as  night  was  coming  on,  and  they  were 
far  from  any  village.  She  persuaded  the  hammock- 
carriers  to  try  to  cross  the  rushing  stream  by  load- 
ing the  hammock  with  boxes,  which  were  taken  over 
successfully.  Then,  with  the  hammock  tied  as 
closely  as  possible  to  the  pole,  the  doctor  was 
carried  across;  but  even  then  the  water  came  into 
the  odd  conveyance.  On  another  occasion,  it  was 
necessary  to  cross  a rushing  torrent  on  a moss- 


CATHERINE  L.  MABIE 


i35 

grown,  slippery  log,  three  feet  under  water.  Once 
a buffalo  in  the  path  caused  a panic  among  the  por- 
ters leading  the  way.  Sometimes  canoes  were  used 
on  the  river,  where  mother  hippos,  with  ugly  hippo 
babies  on  their  backs,  came  close  to  their  visitors. 
Once  the  native  paddlers  took  the  canoe  too  close  to 
a family  party,  when  the  old  hippo  made  an  alarm- 
ing demonstration.  The  danger  from  maddened 
hippos  is  well  known.  But  in  many  hundreds  of 
miles  of  travel,  by  hammock  and  canoe,  Dr.  Mabie 
never  had  a serious  accident,  and  she  never  received 
anything  but  considerate  and  courteous  treatment 
from  native  carriers  and  paddlers. 

Some  days,  while  abroad  on  her  missions  of 
mercy,  there  was  scarcely  time  to  eat.  Many  sick 
persons  were  helped  who  never  would  have  made 
the  long  journeys  to  Banza  Manteke.  The  day 
schools  in  the  villages,  supported  by  the  mission, 
were  inspected.  The  native  Christians  were  en- 
couraged to  give  of  their  means  for  the  support  of 
preachers  and  teachers  from  their  own  ranks  as 
missionaries  to  other  villages.  Often  the  response 
was  large  indeed,  considering  their  small  earnings. 
If  they  could  do  no  better,  they  brought  baskets  of 
peanuts  from  their  gardens,  and  the  peanuts  were 
converted  into  money.  Of  one  of  these  demonstra- 
tions of  missionary  enthusiasm,  at  the  close  of  a 
five-day  conference,  the  doctor  said : 


136  MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


“ How  I wish  you  might  have  seen  the  response. 
In  many  a day  my  heart  has  not  been  so  cheered. 
Old  and  young,  with  shining  faces,  brought  their 
gifts  and  cast  them  into  the  Lord’s  treasury.  Little 
children  crowded  around  with  their  little  baskets 
of  peanuts;  one  mother  with  month-old  twins  came 
up  with  one  baby  in  each  arm,  a cup  of  peanuts  in 
each  hand,  the  babies’  first  gift.  The  audience 
sang  one  hymn  after  another,  while  many  went 
to  their  houses  to  bring  over  and  above  what  they 
had  purposed  giving.  When  we  arose  and  returned 
thanks  for  the  willing  hearts,  there  were  sixty-five 
francs 1 in  the  pastor’s  hands.  All  over  the  town 
little  groups  were  singing  for  an  hour  or  two  after 
the  service.  These  francs,  plus  the  free  transporta- 
tion, equal  to  sixty  more  francs,  were  over  and 
above  the  pledged  contributions.  Weary  but  happy, 
with  my  voice  quite  gone,  I prepared  for  the  return 
journey  on  the  morrow.  Opening  ‘ My  Counsel- 
lor ’ to  the  day’s  lesson,  I read  ‘ Thy  people  shall 
be  willing  in  the  day  of  the  power.  Is  not  this  His 
day?”’ 

After  such  an  experience,  Dr.  Mabie  found  the 
volunteer  carriers  fairly  flying  over  the  ground  next 
morning,  unwilling  to  let  her  leave  the  hammock, 
even  for  the  steep  hills.  On  these  tours  she  gave 
much  attention  to  mothers  and  children.  She  was 


1 A franc  is  worth  about  twenty  cents. 


CATHERINE  L.  MABIE 


137 


never  happier  than  when  talking  to  a group  of 
women,  or  when  surrounded  by  a crowd  of  dirty, 
half  clothed,  “ star-eyed  black  kiddies,”  learning, 
for  the  first  time,  the  story  of  Joseph  the  dreamer, 
of  Daniel  the  brave.  The  value  of  such  work  is 
illustrated  by  the  mental  and  physical  growth  of 
little  Nsimba,  the  nephew  of  the  old  chief,  who  was 
left  with  the  doctor  to  attend  school  and  to  learn 
to  dress  wounds. 

Nsimba’s  twin  had  died  in  infancy,  and  accord- 
ing to  Congo  custom,  the  brother  must  wear  a little 
wooden  image  of  his  dead  sister  on  a string  around 
his  neck.  The  image  represented  the  twin,  whose 
spirit  was  always  near  him.  Everything  of  im- 
portance done  for  him  must  be  done  for  the  image 
also.  Often,  when  she  had  vaccinated  a baby,  Dr. 
Mabie  would  be  asked  to  vaccinate  the  image  on  the 
string  about  its  neck.  When  Nsimba  returned  to 
his  home  for  a visit,  after  several  months  at  Banza 
Manteke,  his  mother  was  careful  to  ask  about  the 
image  of  his  sister. 

“ Yes,  Mother,  I wear  it  always,”  he  answered. 
“ For  many  nights  after  you  had  left  me,  I held 
it  tightly  until  I slept,  but  these  nights  I am  for- 
getting fear.  Listen,  Mother.  The  white  woman 
of  God  tells  me  that  my  little  twin  sister  will  not 
harm  me;  that  she  plays  in  the  town  of  God  where 
it  is  never  dark  and  children  see  no  fear.  When  I 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


138 

asked  how  she  could  find  her  way  to  the  town  of 
God, — and  she  so  little — the  white  woman  told  me 
that  Jesus,  the  son  of  God,  carries  the  little  ones  in 
his  arms  all  the  way,  and  that  perhaps  God’s  town 
isn’t  really  very  far  away.  It  just  seems  far  be- 
cause our  eyes  can’t  see  it.” 

“ It  is  a fable  of  the  white  people,  my  son.  Our 
fathers  never  heard  of  such  a town.  There  may  be 
one  god  for  the  white  people  who  are  not  really 
people, — but  for  us  black  folk  of  the  grass  lands? 
No,  it  cannot  be,  else  we  should  have  heard.  Is  it 
not  the  spirits  of  our  dead  who  make  us  sick,  who 
haunt  the  paths  and  shadow  our  lives  always? 
Trust  not  the  talk  of  the  white  woman  but  wear 
your  twin  fetish  by  day  and  night.” 

“ But,  Mother,  the  white  doctor  tells  us  that 
mosquitoes,  not  spirits,  cause  us  to  burn  with  fever. 
The  medicine  she  gives  quickly  cools  the  hot  skin. 
She  says  tsetse  flies  bring  the  terrible  sleeping  sick- 
ness and  not  angry  spirits.  Truly,  she  is  very  wise, 
wiser  than  we.  She  says  that  God  loves  us  to  trust 
in  Jesus  instead  of  in  fetishes,  and  every  night  she 
asks  him  to  guard  and  keep  us  safely  through  the 
night,  to  help  us  to  follow  Jesus  every  day,  and  give 
him  all  we  have.” 

Many  months  passed.  One  evening  the  doctor 
was  stopping  in  Nsimba’s  home  town.  The  old 
chief  had  set  apart  the  cleanest  house  in  the  village 


CATHERINE  L.  MABIE  139 


for  her  and  gave  her  a fowl  for  supper.  After 
supper  the  doctor  proposed  that,  instead  of  a talk 
from  her,  the  boys  who  had  come  with  her  should 
tell  Bible  stories  to  the  people  sitting  in  a circle 
around  the  fire.  This  was  a difficult  task  for 
Nsimba,  in  his  home  town,  and  before  his  chiefs. 
But  he  at  length  told  them  the  wonderful  story  of 
a great  chief  who  had  made  a strong  fetish,  before 
which  he  commanded  all  the  people  to  bow.  All 
the  people  bowed  before  the  fetish  except  three 
slave  boys,  taken  in  a raid,  who  had  no  fear  of  evil 
spirits  since  they  were  people  of  God.  When  they 
would  not  bow  before  the  fetish,  the  chief  threw 
them  into  the  fire,  but  no  harm  came  to  them,  for 
their  God  was  a real  God.  Then  Nsimba  told  how, 
for  two  years,  while  at  the  Mission,  he  had  kept 
his  mother’s  command  and  had  always  worn  his 
twin  sister’s  image.  But  he  had  decided  to  be  one 
of  God’s  people.  He  would  wear  a fetish  no  more. 
Walking  over  to  the  fire  by  his  mother’s  house,  he 
dropped  the  image  into  the  coals.  It  was  a sig- 
nificant act  When  he  was  baptized  he  chose  a new 
name — Daniel  Nsimba. 

Dr.  Mabie  never  lost  her  love  for  teaching.  She 
saw,  too,  that  in  a land  like  Congo,  where  the 
climate  is  peculiarly  trying  for  white  persons,  it  is 
of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  natives  be  trained 
for  leadership.  So  when  she  was  invited,  in  1911, 


140 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


to  become  a member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Congo 
Evangelical  Training  Institution  at  Kimpesse,  a 
small  place  about  a hundred  and  fifty  miles  from 
the  coast,  the  opportunity  seemed  in  keeping  with 
her  preparation,  qualifications,  and  convictions. 
There  were  numerous  village  schools  of  low  grade, 
and  boarding  schools  also,  at  the  principal  stations. 
But  an  institution  was  needed  for  the  training  of 
native  teachers,  preachers,  and  other  leaders.  Such 
a school  had  been  established  at  Kimpesse,  the 
American  Baptists  uniting  with  the  English  Baptists 
in  its  support,  and  both  Boards  furnishing  mission- 
ary families  as  members  of  the  faculty.  Dr.  Mabie 
seemed  especially  qualified  for  work  among  the 
wives  of  the  students,  as  well  as  for  general  duties 
and  medical  service. 

For  three  years  at  Kimpesse  the  entire  families 
of  the  native  leaders  are  under  cultivation, — spir- 
itually, mentally,  physically.  Classes  are  held  for 
five  and  a half  hours  in  the  morning.  Afternoons 
are  given  to  industrial  training,  gardening,  and  a 
school  for  children  in  which  teachers  receive  prac- 
tical instruction  in  methods.  The  evenings  are 
given  to  study.  The  women  attend  classes  for  three 
hours  a day.  Emphasis  is  placed  on  the  industrial 
features.  Dr.  Mabie  gives  much  attention  to  physio- 
logy, sanitation,  and  hygiene.  She  endeavors,  also, 
to  enable  the  families  to  establish,  in  their  own 


CATHERINE  L.  MABIE 


141 


villages,  homes  which,  in  the  care  of  children,  the 
protection  of  health,  industry,  and  Christian  living, 
will  be  models  for  other  natives  to  copy.  The 
mothers  are  given  opportunity  to  see  how  the  doc- 
tor cares  for  them,  and  how  babies  should  be  tended 
in  a land  where,  largely  on  account  of  improper 
diet,  infant  mortality  is  high.  Hundreds  of  prac- 
tical things,  including  “ first  aid  ” and  nursing,  are 
taught  these  women,  which  they,  in  turn,  can  teach 
others  in  villages  that  the  missionary  will  never 
visit.  The  families  trained  at  Kimpesse  will  be  the 
leaders  in  their  districts. 

Stated  in  practical  terms,  the  school  at  Kimpesse 
attempts  to  confer  the  following  benefits  on  the  wo- 
men students:  To  make  them  better  wives  and 
mothers,  more  companionable  and  helpful  in  their 
husbands’  work  as  teachers  and  evangelists ; to 
acquaint  them  with  the  causes  of  simple  diseases 
prevalent  in  the  towns,  and  the  care  of  babies  and 
young  children,  among  whom  the  death  rate  is 
appalling;  to  give  them  simple,  sane,  dietary  rules, 
and  better  ways  of  home-making,  gardening,  and 
sewing;  to  give  them  a working  acquaintance  with 
the  Gospel,  some  old  Testament  stories,  and  also 
other  stories  suited  to  the  understanding  of  chil- 
dren; to  give  them  simple,  practical  instruction  in 
their  duties  and  privileges  as  Christian  members  of 
the  community  and  church ; to  instruct  them  in  pri- 


142 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


mary  school  teaching;  and  to  train  some  of  the  more 
promising  as  neighborhood  nurses. 

In  September,  1918,  Dr.  Mabie,  after  a visit  to 
her  native  land,  sailed  again  for  Congo,  with  other 
missionaries,  braving  several  submarine  zones  on 
the  long  journey  to  Africa  by  way  of  Europe. 
When  asked  at  that  time  for  information  for  use  in 
this  volume,  she  modestly  replied  in  part : “ Really, 
there  is  nothing  to  tell.  My  work  has  been  within 
very  narrow  limitations  and  in  no  wise  ever  specta- 
cular. It  would  seem  to  me  that  the  only  possible 
way  to  make  me  twinkle,  even  occasionally,  among 
your  galaxy  of  stars,  will  be  by  using  me  as  an  illus- 
tration of  what  can  be  accomplished  in  missionary 
work  in  a very  primitive  stage  of  development,  by 
a doctor  with  next  to  no  equipment.” 

It  is  said  that  “ a poor  workman  blames  his 
tools,”  but  when  a woman  accomplishes,  in  a quiet 
way,  all  that  Dr.  Mabie  has  accomplished,  and  finds 
no  fault  whatever  with  poor  tools, — surely  we  may 
accord  her  a full  measure  of  respect  and  admiration. 


VII 


PETER  PARKER 


f 


Courtesy  of  American  Tract  Society. 

PETER  PARKER 
OF  CHINA. 

“ HIS  LIFE  WAS  CROWDED  WITH  ACTIVITIES  OF  MANY  KINDS, 
AND  NUMEROUS  HONORS  WERE  CONFERRED  ON  HIM.” 


VII 


PETER  PARKER 

ABOUT  three  hundred  years  before  the  birth  of 
Christ,  the  Chinese  built  a great  wall  fifteen 
hundred  miles  along  the  northern  borders  of  the 
Empire,  as  a barrier  to  the  hordes  of  Tartars  who 
constantly  threatened  to  invade  the  country.  This 
wall,  twenty-five  feet  high  and  forty  feet  broad, 
crossing  valleys  and  mountain  ranges,  is  typical  of 
its  builders  and  of  their  descendants,  who  for  thou- 
sands of  years  resented  every  suggestion  of  a wel- 
come to  the  ideas  of  other  nations.  They  were 
satisfied  with  what  they  had  inherited  from  their 
ancestors,  and  they  believed  that  they  were  superior 
to  other  peoples.  Why  should  they  change  in  any 
respect?  And  why  should  the  Chinese  not  think 
well  of  themselves!  For  more  than  four  thousand 
years  their  history  has  been  in  the  making.  Their 
civilization  has  kept  the  even  tenor  of  its  way,  while 
the  glory  of  Babylon,  Egypt,  Rome,  and  Greece 
has  blazed  brilliantly  for  a time  only  to  be  quenched 
by  some  rival. 

The  Chinese  of  long  ago  were  developing  a 
145 


1 46  MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


literature  long  before  our  ancestors  had  ceased  to 
live  in  caves.  They  were  dressed  in  silks  and  satins 
and  were  selling  such  raiment  to  the  Romans  when 
our  forebears  were  wearing  the  skins  of  wild 
beasts.  The  printing-press  was  in  use  in  China 
many  centuries  before  it  was  invented  in  Europe. 
Gunpowder  was  manufactured  there  first,  and  in 
the  fourth  century  the  mariner’s  compass  was  pro- 
duced. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the 
Chinese  >yall  of  conservatism  and  conceit  was  still 
standing  and  left  no  gates  unlocked  for  the  admis- 
sion of  anything  new  or  foreign.  There  was  no 
crevice  in  which  a seed  of  modern  life  could  lodge 
and  germinate.  To-day  the  wall  is  crumbling,  and 
many  gates  are  wide  open  for  the  admission  of  the 
new,  the  true,  and  the  strange. 

In  the  days  when  foreigners  were  given  scant 
welcome  to  China,  the  first  medical  missionary  to 
that  unfriendly  country,  Dr.  Peter  Parker,  landed 
at  Canton  and  immediately  began  to  open  the  eyes 
of  the  blind  and  to  cure  the  sick.  In  time,  patients 
from  every  one  of  the  eighteen  provinces  of  China 
were  treated  in  his  hospital  at  Canton,  and  men 
of  every  rank  received  a new  impression  of  the 
“ foreign  devils.”  The  eyes  of  the  Chinese  were 
being  opened  in  more  ways  than  one.  Men  of  in- 
fluence came  into  personal  touch  with  an  unselfish 


PETER  PARKER 


147 


fellow-man  of  a different  race,  whose  disinterested 
service  amazed  them  and  caused  them  to  ask  in 
whose  name  and  by  what  power  he  was  living  such 
a life.  Thus  it  is  said  that  Peter  Parker,  “ with  the 
point  of  his  lancet/’  opened  China.  Certain  it  is 
that  Dr.  Parker  was  largely  responsible  for  the 
opening  of  China  to  missionaries,  and  he  must  be 
counted  among  those  who  did  much  to  foster 
friendship  between  the  Orient  and  the  Occident. 

Sturdy  old  New  England  has  produced  many  of 
the  finest  characters  in  American  history.  This 
was  true  not  only  for  statesmen,  men  of  letters, 
social  reformers,  and  warriors,  but  for  religious 
leaders  as  well.  John  Eliot  preached  his  first  ser- 
mon to  the  Indians  in  Newton,  Massachusetts; 
David  Brainerd,  another  apostle  to  the  American 
Indians,  was  born  and  reared  in  Connecticut,  and 
it  is  said  that  William  Carey  was  led  to  give  his  life 
to  the  non-Christian  world  through  reading  the 
journal  of  David  Brainerd.  The  first  foreign  mis- 
sionary to  sail  from  America,  Adoniram  Judson, 
was  a son  of  Massachusetts.  And  in  the  quiet 
village  of  Framingham,  Massachusetts,  Peter 
Parker  was  born,  June  18,  1804. 

The  parents  of  Peter  Parker  were  farmer  folk  in 
moderate  circumstances.  Religiously,  they  were 
strict  members  of  the  Orthodox  church  of  Framing- 
ham. Both  in  and  out  of  his  home,  Peter  Parker 


148 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


was  under  austere  religious  influences,  and  the  teach- 
ing which  called  attention  particularly  to  the  sterner 
aspects  of  Christianity  helped  to  develop  an  almost 
morbid  seriousness.  Upon  joining  the  church  he 
took  a serious  view  of  his  obligations.  He  began 
to  ask  himself  what  use  he  should  make  of  his  life. 
He  thought  of  work  among  the  Indians,  since  a 
college  education  seemed  entirely  beyond  his  reach, 
on  account  of  the  family’s  circumstances.  One  day, 
however,  a friend  suggested  means  whereby  he 
might  secure  educational  advantages  of  which  he 
had  not  dared  to  think.  His  father  was  alarmed  at 
the  suggestion.  While  he  would  have  been  glad  to 
give  Peter  a good  education,  he  did  not  believe  it 
was  possible  for  the  family  to  spare  the  boy’s  prac- 
tical assistance,  and  he  tried  to  dissuade  him  from 
his  purpose.  Peter  generously  assured  his  parents 
that  he  would  not  leave  them  unprovided  for;  and 
although  the  ministry  appealed  to  him  strongly,  he 
urged  the  matter  no  more  for  some  time.  For  these 
years  of  waiting  his  text  was,  “ I will  get  me  up 
upon  the  watchtower,  and  see  what  the  Lord  will 
say  unto  me.” 

Gradually  the  obstacles  were  removed.  The 
father’s  long  illness  exhausted  his  savings,  and  there 
were  family  debts  to  be  paid.  The  situation  called 
for  every  dollar  that  Peter  could  earn  until  he  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  Happily,  an  arrangement 


PETER  PARKER 


149 


was  made  in  the  winter  of  1825-26  whereby  the 
father’s  estate  was  settled  upon  a son-in-law,  on 
condition  that  the  parents  should  be  supported  the 
remainder  of  their  lives  in  a definitely  prescribed 
way  and  the  debts  paid.  This  left  Peter  free  to 
enter  Wrentham  Academy,  about  twenty-five  miles 
from  his  home,  with  $115  secured  from  his  father’s 
estate,  and  a recommendation  from  the  pastor  of 
his  church  to  the  principal  of  the  academy.  By  the 
autumn  of  1827  he  was  a student  at  Amherst  Col- 
lege, where  he  really  began  his  missionary  work  by 
visiting  the  poor  in  the  almshouse  and  even  con- 
victs in  prison.  When  the  cholera  appeared,  he 
visited  the  sufferers  and  did  all  he  could  for  their 
comfort. 

Peter  Parker  spent  his  senior  college  year  at 
Yale,  where  the  amount  of  work  which  he  managed 
to  crowd  into  the  days  “ verged  closely  on  the 
marvelous.”  Poverty,  sickness,  disappointment, 
and  hardship  pressed  him,  but  he  allowed  nothing 
to  stand  in  the  way  of  his  purpose  to  excel.  During 
his  year  at  Yale,  occurred  the  revival  of  religion 
in  that  institution,  due  largely  to  the  personal  ef- 
forts and  influence  of  Peter  Parker.  The  question 
of  the  use  to  be  made  of  his  own  life  was  constantly 
with  him,  and  before  his  senior  year  had  ended  he 
had  decided  to  become  a foreign  missionary.  He 
returned  to  New  Haven  the  next  year  for  theolog- 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


150 

ical  studies,  in  time  offering  his  sendees  to  the 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign 
Missions,  preferably  in  China. 

After  taking  both  theological  and  medical  courses 
at  Yale,  at  the  age  of  thirty,  he  was  appointed  a 
missionary  by  the  American  Board.  In  June  he 
accepted  the  invitation  of  a Mr.  Olyphant  to  sail 
with  him,  in  his  own  ship,  Morrison,  to  China.  Of 
course  there  were  people  in  those  days  who  said  it 
was  a pity  for  a man  with  Dr.  Parker’s  training 
“ to  throw  himself  away  on  the  heathen,”  but  the 
choice  had  been  made  carefully  and  with  delibera- 
tion. 

He  did  not  wait  until  he  reached  China  in  order 
to  begin  work.  On  the  long  voyage  he  held  services 
for  the  passengers,  he  interested  the  sailors  in  get- 
ting up  concerts  for  the  benefit  of  missions,  and  he 
organized  a Bible  class,  besides  employing  his  med- 
ical skill  for  more  than  twenty  persons  on  the  ship. 

After  nearly  five  months  at  sea,  Dr.  Parker 
reached  Canton,  that  great  city  whose  teeming 
population  and  strong  cross  currents  of  life  must 
have  given  him  a good  idea  of  the  vastness  of  his 
missionary  task.  He  tarried  here  two  months — 
just  long  enough  to  receive  some  strong  impressions 
of  the  need  of  medical  work — before  he  sailed  for 
Singapore,  where  he  could  secure  larger  freedom 
from  interruption  while  studying  the  language.  He 


PETER  PARKER 


I5i 


also  found  time  to  do  considerable  medical  work 
there  also.  A year  later  he  was  back  at  Canton, 
beginning  his  great  work  with  the  opening  of  the 
Ophthalmic  Hospital  in  November,  1835.  It  was 
decided  to  offer  treatment  for  diseases  of  the  eye, 
since  they  were  the  most  prevalent  disorders  in 
China  and  the  most  baffling  to  the  native  physicians. 
Very  soon  this  class  of  diseases  offered  far  more 
work  than  one  man  alone  could  perform. 

On  the  day  the  hospital  was  opened,  one  person 
only,  a poor  woman,  applied  for  treatment.  Three 
months  later  Dr.  Parker  was  prescribing  for  a hun- 
dred or  more  every  day;  and  they  were  from  all 
classes, — from  penniless  beggars  to  officials  of  the 
Imperial  government.  Some  of  the  sufferers  would 
rise  at  midnight  in  order  to  secure  good  places  in 
line  at  the  gateway;  others  would  sleep  on  their 
mats  spread  near  the  doors,  so  as  to  be  among 
those  admitted  first  in  the  morning.  The  Chinese 
had  never  before  heard  of  such  wonderful  cures. 
And  as  he  employed  his  medical  skill,  he  told  his 
patients  of  the  Great  Physician  who  was  the  healer 
of  their  souls  and  the  giver  of  eternal  life.  In 
China  he  exercised  the  same  zeal  in  religious  work 
that  had  distinguished  him  as  a student  in  Yale. 

The  prejudices  of  the  Chinese  were  not  easily 
overcome.  The  people  considered  the  foreign  doc- 
tor’s work  miraculous,  but  they  could  not  under- 


152 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


stand  his  unselfish  service.  His  motives  were  ques- 
tioned. What  could  be  the  object  of  a foreigner 
living  among  them  and  wearing  himself  out  in  ef- 
forts to  heal  their  diseases?  Surely,  they  argued,  he 
had  some  personal  ends  to  serve!  But  Dr.  Parker 
continued  his  Christ-like  labors  until  many  came  to 
believe  in  him,  and  in  two  years  he  was  one  of  the 
best  known  foreigners  in  China.  A few  English, 
American,  and  Chinese  business  men,  who  had 
questioned  the  wisdom  of  medical  missionary  work, 
were  converted  to  a belief  in  its  extraordinary  use- 
fulness and  subscribed  generously  for  its  support. 
All  this  counted,  too,  in  favor  of  missionaries  in 
general,  who  were  continually  hindered  by  China’s 
unfriendly  attitude  to  new  teachings  of  any  kind. 
Did  not  the  doctrines  of  Confucius  antedate  those 
of  Jesus?  Did  not  their  history  begin  long  before 
David  ever  wrote  a psalm?  Was  it  not  impertin- 
ence for  missionaries  from  an  infant  nation  like 
America  to  presume  to  instruct  China,  with  its  four 
thousand  years  of  recorded  history? 

In  1838,  at  a largely  attended  public  meeting  in 
Canton,  the  Medical  Missionary  Society  in  China 
was  founded.  The  chairman  of  the  meeting  was 
Dr.  W.  Jardine,  the  founder  of  a great  mercantile 
house,  Jardine,  Matheson  & Co.,  whose  numerous 
ships  are  so  well  known  in  Chinese  waters.  In  or- 
ganizing the  society,  a leading  part  was  taken  by 


PETER  PARKER 


153 


Dr.  Parker,  whose  successful  work  for  more  than 
two  years  had  been  the  inspiration  of  the  movement. 
In  1841,  the  Chief  Superintendent  of  British  Trade 
said  of  the  society,  “ The  surgeon’s  knife  was  better 
calculated  to  conciliate  the  Chinese  than  any  wea- 
pon of  war.” 

The  society  continues  to  this  day,  now  under 
the  name  of  the  Canton  Medical  Missionary  So- 
ciety, and  claims  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest 
organization  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  The  Oph- 
thalmic Hospital  continues  under  the  name  “ Canton 
Hospital,”  and  prides  itself  on  being  the  oldest 
hospital  in  the  Orient.  It  is  striving  to  develop  a 
strong  medical  college.  Dr.  Parker  trained  several 
young  men  to  a point  of  large  usefulness  as  physi- 
cians, despite  his  arduous  labors  with  the  blind  and 
sick,  his  lack  of  assistance,  and  his  simple  equip- 
ment. 

In  June,  1840,  the  hospital  was  closed  on  account 
of  the  blockade  of  Canton  by  the  British,  in  the 
Opium  War,  which  constitutes  one  of  the  sad  chap- 
ters in  the  story  of  the  treatment  of  Oriental  peo- 
ples by  white  races.  Whatever  justification  the 
British  may  have  claimed  for  their  course,  the 
forcing  on  the  Chinese  people  of  opium  grown  in 
India  has  caused  an  incalculable  weight  of  woe,  phy- 
sically and  morally.  Dr.  Parker  did  all  in  his 
power  to  prevent  a clash  between  Chinese  and 


154 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


British,  but  in  vain.  Naturally,  the  feeling  among 
the  Chinese  was  bitter  against  all  foreigners,  who 
felt  that  they  were  in  constant  danger.  The  Im- 
perial Commissioner  of  the  Chinese  Government 
had  determined  to  put  an  instant  stop  to  opium 
traffic.  Concerning  the  Commissioner’s  course, 
Dr.  Parker  wrote  his  sister,  on  March  25,  1839,  the 
following  letter  which  foreshadowed  serious 
trouble : 

“ In  this  he  is  right,  but  his  terms  are  arbitrary, 
and,  in  a sense,  impossible.  He  has  threatened  the 
life  and  property  of  natives  and  foreigners  alike,  if 
the  whole  amount  of  opium  is  not  given  up.  The 
merchants  say  it  is  not  theirs  and  they  cannot  give 
it  up,  but  they  will  cease  themselves  to  have  any- 
thing more  to  do  with  it.  On  Wednesday  last  he 
began  his  measures  of  intimidation.  No  more  for- 
eigners were  allowed  to  leave  Canton.  Ships  under 
dispatch  were  detained;  hong  merchants  were  de- 
graded, chains  put  about  their  necks,  and  decapita- 
tion threatened.  Last  evening,  at  half-past  six 
o’clock,  or  thereabouts,  Captain  Elliot,  Her  Maj- 
esty’s Chief  Superintendent  of  British  Trade,  hav- 
ing heard  that  we  were  under  restraint  in  Canton, 
and  not  knowing  what  we  might  be  suffering, 
forced  his  way  up  from  Macao,  and  in  full  uniform, 
with  sword  in  hand,  reached  Canton,  daring  the 
mandarins  who  pursued  him  to  fall  upon  him.  He 


PETER  PARKER 


155 


immediately  hoisted  the  British  flag,  and  called 
upon  all  Her  Majesty’s  subjects  to  stand  by  him. 
There  is  real  danger;  war  itself  may  yet  be  waged 
between  the  two  nations;  but  I hope  not  and  pray 
not.  Captain  Elliot  is  willing  to  do  all  in  his  power 
to  suppress  the  wicked  traffic,  but  requires  it  should 
be  done  justly;  and  all  the  merchants  have  signed  a 
pledge  not  to  continue  it.” 

The  hospital  having  been  closed  on  account  of  the 
trouble  over  the  importation  of  opium,  and  condi- 
tions making  it  impossible  for  him  to  resume  his 
work  at  that  time,  Dr.  Parker  returned  to  America 
for  a furlough.  After  seven  years  of  hard  work  he 
needed  a vacation  that  was  to  prove  notable  in 
several  ways.  He  was  warmly  received  in  America, 
where  large  audiences  heard  with  deep  interest  the 
story  of  his  work  in  Canton.  He  did  much  to  lead 
public  men  in  Washington,  including  President  Van 
Buren,  to  recognize  the  importance  of  establishing 
diplomatic  relations  with  China.  He  organized 
groups  of  people  in  America  to  support  the  med- 
ical work.  He  journeyed  to  England  and  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe  to  make  friends  for  the  same 
purpose.  And  in  Washington  he  met  the  lady  who 
was  to  become  his  wife. 

A few  weeks  after  reaching  America,  Dr.  Parker 
left  New  Haven  for  Washington,  “ to  call  the  at- 
tention of  the  men  in  power  to  the  relations  of 


156 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


America  to  China.”  Immediately  upon  reaching 
the  capital,  he  attended  the  levee  of  the  Spanish 
minister  where  he  met  several  foreign  representa- 
tives, as  well  as  Daniel  Webster  and  other  American 
statesmen.  Next  day  he  called  upon  President  Van 
Buren.  Daniel  Webster  requested  him  to  submit  in 
writing  his  views  regarding  the  necessity  for  the 
appointment  of  a minister  to  China.  His  written 
statement  pointed  out  that,  in  addition  to  the  need 
for  closer  relations  between  China  and  America, 
there  were  other  important  ends  which  might  be 
served.  He  believed  that  if  a Minister  Plenipoten- 
tiary were  sent  immediately,  he  might  serve  as  a 
mediator  between  the  English  and  the  Chinese  in 
the  Opium  War.  But  he  was  moved  largely  by  the 
fear  that,  unless  something  were  done  at  once, 
China,  moved  by  the  old  anti-foreign  spirit,  inten- 
sified by  difficulties  with  the  British,  might  drive 
out  all  foreigners  and  refuse  communication  with 
the  outside  world,  as  Japan  had  done.  That  would 
have  been  a calamity  for  the  Chinese  themselves. 

That  Japan’s  isolation  was  not  a myth,  Dr. 
Parker  had  discovered,  for  several  years  earlier, 
when  he  and  others  attempted,  in  the  good  ship 
Morrison , to  take  back  to  their  own  country  seven 
shipwrecked  Japanese,  they  were  completely  foiled. 
At  no  port  were  they  allowed  to  send  off  a skiff 
manned  even  with  Japanese;  and  wherever  the  at- 


PETER  PARKER 


157 


tempt  was  made,  cannon  on  shore  opened  fire  on 
the  ship.  Dr.  Parker  did  not  wish  to  have  China 
follow  the  example  of  Japan.  On  that  point  he 
wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  State: 

“ There  is  serious  ground  of  apprehension  that, 
if  the  subject  is  not  seasonably  attended  to,  all  for- 
eign intercourse  will  be  cut  off,  and  China  will  act 
after  the  policy  of  Japan. 

“ Even  now  this  is  the  wish  of  one  of  the  two 
great  factions  into  which  the  Chinese  Government 
is  divided.  r.  >■  {>-  The  foreign  residences  in  Can- 
ton have  been  enclosed  by  a row  of  palisades  in 
the  river,  forming  a semicircle,  and  extending  some 
distance  above  and  below  them.  The  area  in  front 
is  enclosed  by  a high  fence,  and  gates  extend  across 
the  streets,  so  that  in  five  minutes,  at  any  time,  the 
foreigners  may  be  made  prisoners  in  their  own 
houses. 

“ Privileges  of  going  abroad  upon  the  river  and 
in  the  suburbs  and  neighboring  villages  for  air  and 
exercise,  formerly  enjoyed,  are  now  prohibited. 
Though  the  commerce  is  desired,  and  thousands 
and  tens  of  thousands  of  silk  manufacturers  and 
tea  cultivators  depend  upon  it,  yet  as  the  lesser  of 
two  evils,  the  government  may,  with  one  decisive 
stroke,  cut  off  all  foreign  intercourse.” 

Dr.  Parker  came  in  closer  communication  with 
the  law-makers.  The  second  Sunday  he  was  in 


158  MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Washington,  upon  the  invitation  of  the  chaplain  to 
Congress,  he  preached  in  the  Capitol  to  an  audience 
composed  largely  of  members  of  the  Senate  and 
House  of  Representatives.  His  text  was  Acts 
14:26:  “And  thence  they  sailed  to  Antioch, 
from  whence  they  had  been  committed  to  the  grace 
of  God  for  the  work  which  they  fulfilled.  And 
when  they  were  come,  and  had  gathered  the  church 
together,  they  rehearsed  all  things  that  God  had 
done  with  them,  and  that  he  had  opened  a door  of 
faith  unto  the  Gentiles.” 

Much  of  the  sermon  was  devoted  to  a description 
of  the  work  at  the  hospital  where,  in  less  than  five 
years,  about  eight  thousand  Chinese  patients  had 
been  received,  besides  Americans,  English,  French, 
Spanish  and  Portuguese,  East  Indians,  Malays,  and 
Japanese.  He  told  of  the  organization  of  the  Med- 
ical Missionary  Society,  and  he  drew  illustrations 
from  his  personal  experiences.  To  mention  one: 

“ When  the  man,  who  had  had  cataracts  for  forty 
years  and  more,  had  been  operated  upon,  stroking 
down  his  long,  flowing  beard,  he  remarked : ‘ I have 
lived  till  my  beard  has  become  long  and  hoary,  but 
never  before  have  I seen  or  heard  of  one  who  does 
such  things  as  are  done  in  this  hospital.’  Then  an 
opportunity  came  to  tell  him  the  story  of  Jesus,  and 
that  but  for  Him  I had  not  come  to  China.  When 
I have  visited  patients  at  their  houses,  others  in  the 


PETER  PARKER 


159 


neighborhood  who  had  been  cured  have  often  met 
me,  and  told  to  multitudes  what  had  been  done  for 
them.  With  minds  thus  favorably  disposed,  I have 
spoken  to  them  of  Christ  and  the  gospel ; and  they 
go  away  to  repeat  to  others  what  they  have  heard.” 
This  sermon  must  have  been  very  different  from 
the  usual  discourse  before  Congress. 

While  in  Washington,  trying  to  rouse  interest 
in  China  and  to  enlist  the  attention  of  statesmen,  he 
met  Miss  Harriet  Webster,  who  was  related  to  the 
families  of  Daniel  Webster  and  Rufus  Choate.  Dr. 
Parker  was  a man  of  singularly  attractive  person- 
ality, and  it  is  not  surprising  that,  in  a few  weeks, 
he  had  completely  won  the  heart  of  the  lovely  Miss 
Webster.  Her  beauty  and  her  family  connections 
had  opened  wide  the  door  of  Washington  social 
circles  in  which  she  was  very  popular. 

Of  his  engagement  Dr.  Parker  wrote  to  a friend, 
“ I am  more  and  more  confirmed  in  the  wisdom  and 
happiness  of  my  choice,  and  the  obligation  we  are 
under  to  God.  She  is  the  desire  of  my  heart.” 

To  his  sisters  he  wrote  of  Miss  Webster  with  a 
little  more  old-time  formality : 

“ In  the  ardent  and  reciprocated  affection  of  Miss 
Harriet  C.  Webster  of  Washington,  I have  the  de- 
sire of  my  heart  and  one  whom  it  will  be  my  pleas- 
ure to  introduce  to  you  in  time  as  your  new  and 
loving  and  beloved  sister.  Were  I to  express  to 


i6o 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


you  my  opinion  of  her,  you  might  think  me  biased 
in  judgment;  suffice  it  to  say,  then,  in  the  language 
of  others,  that  ‘ she  is  the  best  young  lady  in  the 
world  ’ and  that  there  is  not  another  in  Washington 
in  whom  there  is  more  general  interest  felt.” 

A little  later  he  and  Miss  Webster  were  married. 
The  union  was  a happy  one,  and  Dr.  Parker  fre- 
quently expressed  his  gratitude  for  the  blessings 
his  wife  had  brought  into  his  life.  Nineteen  days 
after  the  wedding  Dr.  Parker  sailed  alone  for 
Europe,  hoping  to  secure  funds  for  medical  work 
in  China,  leaving  his  wife  in  America,  during  his 
absence  of  four  months.  It  seems  that  Mrs.  Parker 
wished  to  spend  some  weeks  with  her  widowed 
mother,  who  lived  in  Augusta,  Maine,  before  leav- 
ing on  the  long  voyage  for  the  strange  and  distant 
country  where  they  lived  for  nearly  fifteen  years 
before  returning  to  the  United  States. 

Dr.  Parker’s  visit  to  Europe  was  crowded  with 
work  for  he  was  trying  to  rouse  a real  interest  in 
Chinese  missions.  In  England,  Sir  Henry  Halford 
and  Sir  Risdon  Bennett  at  once  gave  the  subject 
hearty  support.  The  Duke  of  Sussex,  Princess 
Sophia,  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the  Duke  of 
Wellington,  Sir  Robert  Peel,  and  other  distinguished 
persons  gave  the  work  their  commendation.  Visits 
were  made  to  France  and  Germany.  The  total 
amount  subscribed  by  friends  during  his  visit  to 


PETER  PARKER 


161 


Europe  and  America  (he  visited  numerous  cities 
here)  was  $6,702.64,  of  which  $672.01  was  ex- 
pended in  traveling,  printing,  and  in  the  purchase 
of  supplies  for  the  hospital.  The  remainder  was 
forwarded  to  China.  Here  was  the  work  of  a 
pioneer.  The  amount  he  received  in  money  seems 
small  indeed  in  comparison  with  the  large  amounts 
that  are  given  to-day  for  medical  missions,  but  at 
that  time  he  was  educating  the  people  on  a subject 
of  which  they  knew  little. 

In  June,  1842,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  sailed  for 
China.  The  months  since  the  return  from  Europe 
had  been  spent  chiefly  in  Philadelphia  and  Wash- 
ington. In  the  former  city  he  attended  lectures  at 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania;  in  Washington  he 
continued  his  efforts  to  induce  the  government  to 
send  a minister  to  China.  Interviews  with  another 
President — President  Tyler — and  Daniel  Webster 
were  memorable  features  of  his  activity;  but  he 
finally  sailed  from  America  without  having  secured 
the  desired  action  by  the  government.  However, 
this  came  a little  later,  and  he  was  called  on  by  the 
United  States  Government  to  have  a large  part  in 
the  execution  of  its  plans. 

The  arrival  of  the  “ foreign  lady  ” at  Canton 
was  the  occasion  of  considerable  excitement.  Gov- 
ernment officials  inquired  as  to  her  purpose; 
whether  she  was  to  remain  permanently  or  merely 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


162 


to  make  a visit.  The  messenger  appeared  satisfied 
when  informed  that  it  was  not  Mrs.  Parker’s  pur- 
pose to  venture  into  the  streets  for  a time,  but  to 
remain  very  quiet,  securing  her  exercise  by  walk- 
ing inside  the  enclosure  in  the  evening. 

Hospital  work  was  resumed  in  the  old  building, 
and  the  years  immediately  following  were  crowded 
with  labors  and  anxieties.  The  Opium  War  had 
ended,  but  the  Chinese  still  entertained  bitter  feel- 
ings toward  the  English,  which  occasionally  in- 
cluded all  foreigners.  Nevertheless,  the  Chinese 
flocked  to  the  hospital.  From  November  21,  1842, 
to  December  31,  1843,  more  than  3,500  patients 
applied  for  treatment.  At  the  same  time,  Dr. 
Parker  was  training  Chinese  young  men  in  West- 
ern medicine  and  was  preaching  frequently.  He 
had  not  lost  his  evangelistic  zeal.  The  volume  of 
work  at  the  hospital  continued  large,  year  after 
year.  He  wrote,  “ As  in  former  periods,  so  of  late, 
persons  of  all  conditions  and  ranks,  from  the  beg- 
gar to  the  highest  functionary  under  the  Imperial 
government,  have  alike  availed  themselves  of  the 
hospital’s  aid.” 

In  the  autumn  of  1843,  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment decided  to  send  a commissioner  to  China, 
to  negotiate  a treaty  between  the  two  countries. 
For  this  important  post  the  Hon.  Caleb  Cushing,  of 
Massachusetts,  was  chosen.  Immediately  upon 


A CHINESE  HOSPITAL  OF  TO-DAY. 


‘ THE  MANY  FINE  HOSPITALS  IN  CHINA  TO-DAY  PROVE  THAT 
THE  WORK  OF  DR.  PETER  PARKER  WAS  NOT  IN  VAIN.” 


PETER  PARKER 


163 


reaching  China,  Mr.  Cushing  requested  Dr.  Park- 
er’s assistance  as  Chinese  Secretary  to  the  Mission. 
Dr.  Parker  could  hardly  decline  to  give  his  help 
in  a work  for  which  he  had  done  such  earnest  plead- 
ing at  Washington;  and  perhaps  no  man  in  China 
could  have  done  more  to  help  win  the  Chinese,  in 
the  face  of  an  indifference  to  foreign  governments 
that  amounted  almost  to  scorn  or  insult.  Of  this 
important  service,  Dr.  Parker  says  little  in  his  jour- 
nal. A treaty  was  made  which  was  ratified  by  the 
Emperor  on  August  4,  1845.  Dr.  Parker  labored 
on  as  a medical  missionary  while  serving  as  Chinese 
Secretary  to  the  Mission. 

Late  in  1844,  Dr.  Parker  received  notice  of  his 
appointment  by  the  President  of  the  United  States 
as  Secretary  and  Chinese  Interpreter  to  the  Lega- 
tion in  China.  A United  States  Legation  in  China 
had  been  one  of  Dr.  Parker’s  dreams,  and  he  had 
done  much  to  secure  a treaty  making  the  Legation 
possible.  He  accepted  the  appointment,  after  in- 
quiring whether  it  would  be  compatible  with  his 
missionary  labors.  The  news  of  his  appointment 
was  welcomed  by  leading  Chinese,  among  whom  his 
influence  was  so  great  that  a little  later  he  was 
largely  instrumental  in  quelling  a riot  in  Canton, 
in  which  the  lives  and  properties  of  both  English 
and  Americans  were  imperiled. 

Upon  the  death,  in  1847,  of  the  Hon.  Alexander 


164 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


H.  Everett,  Commissioner  from  the  United  States 
to  the  Chinese  Empire,  Dr.  Parker  was  given  entire 
charge  of  the  Legation  until  a successor  to  Mr. 
Everett  could  be  appointed.  With  all  the  affairs 
of  the  Legation  depending  on  him,  in  addition  to  his 
duties  at  the  hospital,  and  preaching  often  on  Sun- 
day, Dr.  Parker  was  nearing  a physical  collapse. 
Soon  he  was  ill  with  fever,  but  from  this  he  rallied 
with  the  return  of  cool  weather.  In  1853,  while  on 
government  service,  he  was  shipwrecked  and  suf- 
fered from  exposure.  In  January,  1855,  he  was 
again  at  Canton  in  charge  of  the  Legation.  But 
poor  health  compelled  him  to  return  to  America 
with  Mrs.  Parker  a few  months  later.  Perfect  rest 
at  sea  restored  his  health  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
reached  America  in  fairly  good  physical  condition. 

Affairs  in  China  appeared  to  grow  more  com- 
plicated month  by  month,  and  desiring  the  very 
best  man  who  could  be  secured,  President  Franklin 
Pierce  asked  Dr.  Parker  to  accept  the  appointment 
of  commissioner  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to 
China,  for  the  purpose  of  revising  the  treaty  of 
1844  which  he  had  helped  to  make.  Having  re- 
covered his  health  to  such  an  extent  that  he  felt  he 
might  safely  return  to  China  for  a time,  he  accepted 
the  appointment.  His  first  official  act  was  to  strike 
a blow  against  the  trade  in  Chinese  coolies,  many 
of  whom  were  sold  into  slavery;  and  he  secured 


PETER  PARKER 


165 

religious  liberty  for  all  Chinese  or  others,  who 
should  peaceably  teach  or  practise  Christianity. 
The  actual  revision  of  the  treaty,  the  great  object  of 
his  return  to  China,  was  not  accomplished  until  the 
year  after  he  resigned  as  Commissioner,  but  the 
result  was  almost  entirely  due  to  Dr.  Parker’s  ef- 
forts. 

Feeling  that  he  had  done  everything  in  his  power 
as  Commissioner,  he  resigned  that  office  and  re- 
turned to  America  in  August,  1857,  where  his  life 
was  crowded  with  activities  of  many  kinds,  and 
where  numerous  honors  were  conferred  on  him. 
His  health  had  been  so  affected  by  a sunstroke  in 
China  that  it  was  unwise  to  attempt  missionary 
work  again,  although  he  was  ever  interested  in  the 
cause  to  which  he  had  offered  his  life;  and  in  his 
own  country  he  found  numerous  opportunities  for 
work  and  for  helpful  suggestions  of  far-reaching 
influence. 

On  January  10,  1888,  this  great  man  finished  his 
work  on  earth.  He  had  rendered  service  such  as 
is  permitted  to  few  men  of  any  generation.  The 
many  fine  hospitals  in  China  to-day  prove  that  his 
work  was  not  in  vain.  He  had  served  the  King 
in  serving  men  of  a different  race,  and  in  sharing 
with  them  the  revelation  of  God  which  he  had 
found  in  Christ. 

One  writer  has  said,  with  true  insight,  that  “ we 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


1 66 

have  not  as  yet  fully  comprehended  the  nature  and 
the  magnitude  of  the  services  Dr.  Peter  Parker 
rendered  both  to  China  and  to  the  United  States; 
while  the  triumphs  won  by  him,  and  through  his 
work  by  others,  for  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  only 
the  cycles  of  eternity  can  reveal.” 


VIII 

JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE 


Courtesy  of  ihe  Fleming  H.  Resell  Company. 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE 
OF  CHINA. 


HE  GAVE  HIMSELF  TO  GENERAL  PRACTISE,  AND,  AS  FAR  AS 
POSSIBLE,  ATTEMPTED  TO  RELIEVE  SUFFERING  IN  ANY  FORM.” 


VIII 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE 

TT  7" HEN  the  nineteenth  century  had  run  just  half 
**  of  its  course,  there  was  born  in  England  a 
boy  who  was  not  destined  for  a long  life;  but  his 
short  life  was  crowded  with  work  of  the  most  un- 
selfish kind.  He  was  to  work  and  struggle  toward 
a beautiful  and  noble  ideal;  and  though  he  died 
before  he  had  reached  the  meridian  of  his  life,  he 
left  behind  him  a splendid  record  and  an  inspiring 
example. 

This  man  was  John  Kenneth  Mackenzie.  He  was 
the  son  of  Alexander  and  Margaret  Mackenzie,  and 
was  born  in  Yarmouth,  England,  August  25,  1850, 
though  his  parents  moved  to  Bristol  while  he  was 
still  very  young;  and  in  Bristol  his  boyhood  and 
youth  were  spent. 

His  first  serious  religious  impressions  were  re- 
ceived when  he  heard  Dwight  L.  Moody,  at  the 
time  of  the  latter’s  first  visit  to  England,  in  1867. 
A year  later,  he  decided  that  his  path  in  life  should 
be  that  which  was  marked  out  by  Christ,  in  whose 
footsteps  he  pledged  himself  to  follow. 

169 


170 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Having  made  the  decision  deliberately,  he  was 
not  satisfied  with  any  halfway  discipleship. 
Ragged-school  work,  visiting  the  poor  in  lodging- 
houses,  and  holding  open-air  services  were  forms 
of  activity  in  which  he  engaged.  He  worked  and 
prayed  for  the  most  depraved  men  and  women,  one 
of  the  men  being  a notorious  burglar  known  as 
“ the  king  of  thieves  ” who  professed  conversion. 
Young  Mackenzie  joined  older  persons  in  Midnight 
Mission  work,  in  which  men  and  women  from  the 
public  houses  were  sought,  in  the  hope  of  reform- 
ing them.  These  were,  of  course,  a degraded  and 
debased  class,  but  in  his  eagerness  to  do  work  for 
Christ,  the  young  man  had  courage  to  undertake 
the  most  difficult  tasks. 

In  some  way,  his  attention  had  been  drawn  to 
China,  and  after  reading  a small  volume,  “ The 
Double  Cure,  or  What  is  a Medical  Mission?  ”-t  he 
decided  that  he  would  give  up  a business  career  and 
undertake  the  study  of  medicine,  with  a view  of 
going  to  China  as  a medical  missionary.  At  first 
his  parents  would  not  consent  to  so  radical  a change 
in  his  plans.  Some  friends,  hearing  of  the  obstacle 
in  the  young  man’s  path,  agreed  to  meet  together 
one  evening,  to  pray  for  its  removal.  Upon  return- 
ing home,  a few  hours  later,  John  Kenneth  found 
his  father  and  mother  quite  reconciled  to  his  desire 
to  spend  his  life  in  China.  In  October,  1870,  he 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE  171 


entered  the  Bristol  Medical  School,  and  in  four 
years  he  was  graduated.  Later,  he  attended  the 
Royal  Ophthalmic  Hospital  in  London.  The  day  he 
passed  his  final  examinations,  his  eye  fell  on  a 
notice,  in  a missionary  magazine,  of  a vacancy  in 
the  hospital  at  Hankow,  China,  which  had  been 
opened  by  the  London  Missionary  Society.  In  a 
few  weeks  he  found  himself  under  appointment  to 
that  hospital. 

Hankow,  at  the  junction  of  the  Yangtse  and  Han 
rivers,  six  hundred  miles  from  the  sea,  is  the  throb- 
bing metropolis  of  Central  China.  No  one  who 
ever  visited  this  commanding  commercial  center 
could  fail  to  appreciate  its  strategic  location.  Sea- 
going vessels  sail  up  the  river  as  far  as  Hankow, 
to  load  with  tea  for  England,  Europe,  and  America. 
Smaller  steamers  go  another  four  hundred  miles 
up-stream  to  Ichang,  while  still  smaller  vessels 
begin  another  lap  of  four  hundred  miles,  against  a 
terrific  current  and  through  deep  gorges,  to  Chung- 
king, in  far-away  West  China,  close  to  Tibet. 
Chinese  junks,  from  up  and  down  the  great  river, 
and  from  far  up  the  Han,  make  a veritable  forest 
of  masts,  fringing  the  banks  of  both  streams.  The 
scene  is  one  that  thrills,  and  it  would  appeal  to  the 
imagination  of  any  one  interested  in  selecting  a 
field  for  missionary  effort.  When  Dr.  Mackenzie 
reached  Hankow,  in  June,  1875,  several  other  soci- 


172 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


eties  besides  the  London  Mission  were  at  work 
in  Hankow  center.  He  was  greatly  pleased  at  the 
spirit  of  unity  prevailing  among  the  missionaries 
of  the  several  bodies.  Of  one  of  the  monthly  union 
prayer-meetings  he  wrote:  “ Had  a most  delightful 
meeting  of  missionaries  in  Mr.  Scarborough’s 
house.  The  subject  of  a fuller  trust  in  Christ  for 
missionaries  and  converts  was  brought  up.  The 
Lord’s  presence  was  very  manifest.  I am  sure  we 
all  felt  it  was  good  to  be  there.  The  spirit  of  union 
is  very  sweet.”  To-day  more  than  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  missionaries  of  various  denominations 
are  working  in  the  Hankow  center.  Forty  years 
have  wrought  a great  transformation. 

Dr.  Mackenzie  did  not  find  the  Chinese  eager  to 
receive  his  religious  teachings  or  to  seek  his  med- 
ical aid.  Even  as  late  as  1875,  and  in  such  a center 
as  Hankow,  where  foreigners  and  foreign  institu- 
tions had  been  in  evidence  for  many  years,  the 
prejudice  against  them  was  not  easy  to  overcome. 
Even  the  small  group  of  Chinese  Christians  were 
often  slow  to  turn  to  the  new  medical  treatment 
from  the  West,  but  the  critical  illness  of  an  old 
Chinese  deacon  gave  Dr.  Mackenzie,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  his  career,  an  opportunity  to  exercise  his 
skill;  though  he  realized  keenly  that  the  failure  of 
the  patient  to  recover  would  be  a distinct  blow  to  his 
prospects  for  immediate  usefulness.  In  that  case, 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE  173' 

he  would  have  been  charged  with  hastening  the 
deacon’s  death. 

The  foreign  doctor  in  China,  in  a community 
where  Western  medicine  is  still  strange  to  the 
masses,  is  frequently  at  his  wit’s  end.  Should  he 
receive  into  his  hospital  a patient  whose  chances 
for  recovering  were  very  small?  And  should  he 
do  his  best  to  lengthen  life,  although  he  believed 
there  was  little  hope  ? Dr.  Mackenzie  knew  that  the 
death  of  the  deacon  under  his  care  would  be  at- 
tributed to  him,  and  might  result  in  the  immediate 
departure  from  the  hospital  of  such  patients  as  were 
there  and  well  on  the  way  to  recovery.  He  knew, 
too,  that  others  whom  he  might  help  would  not  con- 
sent to  come  to  him  for  treatment,  after  the  an- 
nouncement of  a death  in  his  hospital.  What  should 
the  perplexed  doctor  do? 

Some  five  Chinese  doctors,  prescribing  the  usual 
Chinese  remedies,  had  given  the  deacon  no  relief, 
and  in  desperation  the  family  consented  to  call  in 
the  new  medical  missionary.  Dr.  Mackenzie 
thought  the  sick  man  was  sinking  rapidly;  he  con- 
sidered it  his  duty  to  do  all  he  could,  although  he 
believed  the  man  to  be  dying.  He  recognized  the 
possible  disastrous  effect  on  his  own  professional 
standing  in  the  event  of  failure,  nevertheless  he 
decided  to  do  all  he  could.  Heroic  remedies  were 
employed  and  presently  the  sick  man  responded. 


174 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


In  time  he  recovered  and  confidence  in  the  new 
medicine  was  thenceforth  established  among  the 
deacon’s  friends. 

In  1875,  and  for  many  years  thereafter,  Rev. 
Griffith  John,  whose  name  was  known  in  missionary 
circles  as  simply  Mr.  John,  was  one  of  the  most 
active  and  beloved  preachers  of  the  gospel  in  all 
China.  He  delighted  in  opportunities  for  preach- 
ing in  the  villages,  and  was  eager  to  have  the  co- 
operation of  Dr.  Mackenzie  in  his  cross-country 
work.  In  some  of  the  villages  the  reputation  of  the 
foreign  doctor  had  preceded  him,  and  a few  patients 
awaited  him.  In  other  regions,  hatred  of  the  “ for- 
eign devils  ” was  so  intense  that  the  lives  of  the 
two  earnest  and  intrepid  missionaries  were  actually 
endangered. 

In  at  least  one  of  the  country  tours,  Mr.  John  and 
Dr.  Mackenzie  narrowly  escaped  with  their  lives. 
The  people  met  them  shouting,  “ Go  back  to 
Hankow  and  preach  your  Jesus  there;  you  shall 
not  come  here.”  Soon  the  crowd  began  to  pelt  the 
missionaries’  heads  with  hard  clods  of  earth,  and 
quickly  an  infuriated  mob  of  more  than  a thousand 
angry  men,  determined  on  mischief,  surrounded  the 
two  foreigners.  Although  they  suffered  some  in- 
jury, both  men  finally  reached  the  home  of  a Chi- 
nese Christian,  who  gave  them  refuge  and  refresh- 
ment, despite  the  risk  which  he  incurred  for  himself 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE 


175 


and  his  family  by  receiving  the  “ foreign  devils.” 
In  these  later  days,  when  the  Chinese  have  assumed 
a friendly  attitude  towards  missionaries,  it  is  well  to 
recall  the  hardships  of  the  pioneers.  It  is  well  to 
remember,  too,  when  the  believers  were  sometimes 
called  in  derision  “ rice  Christians,”  that  there  were 
intrepid  and  loyal  Chinese  disciples,  even  in  early 
days,  who  risked  their  own  lives  to  protect  the  for- 
eign messengers  of  the  gospel. 

The  young  medical  missionary  soon  discovered 
that  blindness,  total  or  partial,  afflicted  so  large  a 
proportion  of  the  people  of  China  that  he  could 
profitably  spend  all  of  his  time  in  treating  such 
cases,  to  many  of  whom  sight  might  be  restored 
through  simple  operations.  However,  he  gave  him- 
self to  general  practise,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  at- 
tempted to  relieve  suffering  in  any  form.  When 
the  dreaded  cholera  appeared,  he  did  what  he  could 
for  those  who  were  stricken,  as  well  as  suggested 
measures  to  stop  the  progress  of  the  plague.  Then 
there  was  always  before  him  the  visible  evidence  of 
opium’s  baneful  effects  on  the  Chinese.  When  it 
was  known  around  Hankow  that  the  Mission  hos- 
pital offered  hope  to  those  who  were  enslaved  by 
the  drug,  they  came  in  such  numbers  that  it  was 
difficult  to  find  places  for  them  to  sleep. 

Dr.  Mackenzie  had  sailed  for  China  in  1875,  un- 
married,  believing  that,  as  a bachelor,  he  would  give 


176 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


more  time  the  first  year  or  two  to  language  study, 
and  wishing  to  try  the  climate  before  undertaking 
the  responsibility  of  marrying.  Griffith  John  had 
strongly  advised  such  a course.  But  as  time  went 
on,  his  thoughts  turned  often  to  the  English  girl, 
Millicent  Travers,  to  whom  he  was  betrothed  in 
Bristol  before  he  sailed  for  his  distant  field  of 
labor.  In  Bristol  they  both  had  been  engaged  in 
Christian  work,  and  Dr.  Mackenzie  felt  that,  after 
two  years’  study  of  the  Chinese  people  and  their 
difficult  language,  he  was  justified  in  establishing 
a home  of  his  own;  so  he  wrote  to  Miss  Travers 
and  asked  her  to  join  him  in  his  distant  field  of 
work.  This  she  agreed  to  do. 

In  December,  1876,  he  journeyed  to  Shanghai  to 
meet  Miss  Travers,  who  arrived  early  in  January. 
On  the  9th  of  that  month  they  were  married  and 
left  at  once  for  their  station  in  Hankow. 

Mrs.  Mackenzie  proved  a real  helpmeet  to  her 
husband,  taking  up  at  once  the  study  of  Chinese 
which  proved,  of  course,  immediately  useful.  Work 
among  the  English  sailors  absorbed  much  of  her 
time,  though  it  did  not  interfere  with  the  womanly 
task  of  home-making. 

“ We  are  now  established  in  our  pretty  home,” 
wrote  Dr.  Mackenzie  to  his  brother,  “ and  it  looks 
both  homelike  and  comfortable,  thanks  to  Millie’s 
deft  fingers.”  At  another  time  he  wrote,  “ What 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE  177 


a joy  it  is  to  have  a dear  wife  to  look  after  you! 
Millie  is  a splendid  housekeeper,  and  makes  the 
house  and  surroundings  look  as  pretty  as  any  in  the 
place.” 

Meanwhile  the  doctor’s  work  pressed  him  hard. 
During  the  year  1877,  more  than  a thousand  patients 
were  treated  in  the  hospital,  and  nearly  twelve  thou- 
sand received  medicine  and  advice  at  the  dispensary. 
At  that  time  he  wrote  his  mother : “ The  hospital 
is  flourishing  more  than  ever;  one  thousand  and 
fifteen  out-patients  one  day,  and  ninety-four  the 
next,  all  to  be  seen  and  to  be  attended  to  pretty 
well  by  myself.  The  in-patients,  too,  are  very  num- 
erous; we  have  forty-two  beds,  but  they  are  full, 
and  many  lying  on  the  floor ; I am  having  new  beds 
made.  Many  of  the  people  come  from  long  dis- 
tances; twenty  arrived  in  one  day  from  the  same 
town.”  Although  his  medical  work  made  such 
heavy  demands  on  his  time  and  strength,  he  never 
lost  his  appreciation  of  the  importance  of  personal 
piety  on  his  own  part  nor  his  original  fervor  in 
leading  men  to  Christ. 

Sometime  in  1878  circumstances  arose  which 
caused  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Mackenzie  to  desire  a change 
of  field.  The  necessity  for  making  a change  ap- 
pears to  have  given  them  great  pain,  but,  as  is 
usually  true  when  earnest  souls  accept  in  faith  and 
courage  the  upheavals  in  their  lives,  or  a reversal 


178  MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


of  their  plans,  in  time  they  came  to  see  that  a 
greater  work  was  awaiting  them  elsewhere.  The 
later  years  of  Dr.  Mackenzie’s  life  were  saddened 
by  the  serious  failure  of  his  wife’s  health;  and  al- 
though this  shadow  had  not  then  darkened  their 
lives,  the  doctor  could  not  but  feel  that  on  his  wife’s 
account  a change  was  necessary. 

Their  own  preference,  if  a change  must  be  made, 
was  for  Chungking,  in  Szechuen  Province,  far  up 
the  Yangtse  toward  the  borders  of  Tibet.  But  at 
that  time  the  London  Missionary  Society  did  not 
think  it  safe  for  a missionary  to  go  with  his  family 
to  Chungking  and  in  1879  they  were  transferred  to 
Tientsin,  the  port  for  Peking,  the  capital  of  the  em- 
pire, and  in  other  respects  an  exceptionally  impor- 
tant city. 

When  they  reached  Tientsin,  they  found  there 
was  no  appropriation  for  the  medical  work.  A 
doctor  without  money  to  buy  drugs!  The  Mission 
adopted  a resolution  requesting  the  Society  to  grant 
money  for  medicines,  but  in  those  days,  before  the 
Trans-Siberian  Railroad  reduced  the  time  for  mail 
between  Tientsin  and  England,  no  less  than  five 
months  were  required  to  write  to  the  Board  and 
receive  an  answer.  In  his  disappointment,  Dr. 
Mackenzie  resorted  to  prayer  and  invited  his  col- 
leagues to  join  him  in  praying  for  the  needed  relief. 
It  was  suggested  by  one  of  the  missionaries  that  a 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE  179 


petition  be  presented  to  the  Viceroy,  setting  forth 
the  advantages  of  establishing  a hospital  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Chinese,  and  soliciting  his  assistance. 
The  memorial,  which  set  forth  the  neglected  state 
of  the  city  and  the  prevalence  of  sickness,  was  pre- 
sented directly  to  the  Viceroy  of  Chihli  Province, 
who  was  none  other  than  Li  Hung  Chang,  some- 
times called  “ the  Bismarck  of  Asia.”  This  well 
known  man  was  one  of  the  ablest  Chinese  states- 
men of  modern  times.  Earlier,  he  had  joined 
“ Chinese  ” Gordon  in  opposing  the  Tai-ping  re- 
bellion against  the  Tartar  rule.  Later,  he  was  Sen- 
ior Grand  Secretary  of  State,  continuing  to  be  the 
intermediary  between  China  and  the  world  at  large 
until  the  war  with  Japan  in  1894.  He  was  Prime 
Minister  of  China  from  1895  to  1898. 

The  petition  to  the  Viceroy  was  received  by  him 
with  expressions  of  commendation  and  a promise 
to  consider  it.  However,  two  months  passed  with- 
out further  word  from  him.  A few  foreign  drugs 
had  been  secured  from  Shanghai,  and  Dr.  Macken- 
zie was  attempting  to  help  the  people,  but  only  a 
few  came  to  the  dispensary.  The  Chinese  of  Tient- 
sin were  known  as  especially  anti-foreign.  How- 
ever, the  period  when  they  were  unwilling  to  accept 
his  help  was  used  profitably  by  Dr.  Mackenzie  in 
acquainting  himself  with  the  differences  in  the 
Hankow  and  Tientsin  dialects.  While  waiting. 


i8o 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


there  came  a call  for  service  which  the  missionary- 
considered  as  a direct  answer  to  prayer. 

On  August  i,  the  day  for  the  weekly  prayer- 
meeting for  missionaries  and  Chinese,  when  the 
subject  was  “ Ask  and  it  shall  be  given  you,”  and 
the  medical  needs  of  the  Mission  were  included  in 
the  petitions,  a member  of  the  British  Legation  at 
Tientsin  was  closeted  with  the  Viceroy.  The  Eng- 
lishman, observing  that  Li  Hung  Chang  seemed 
very  sad,  ventured  to  inquire  as  to  the  cause.  “ My 
wife  is  seriously  ill — dying;  the  doctors  have  told 
me  this  morning  she  cannot  live,”  replied  the  states- 
man. “Well,”  said  the  Englishman,  “why  don’t 
you  get  help  from  the  foreign  doctors  in  Tientsin? 
They  might  be  able  to  do  something  even  yet.” 
The  Viceroy  remarked  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  a Chinese  lady  of  rank  to  be  attended  by  a for- 
eign physician.  In  time,  however,  Li  Hung  Chang 
determined  to  break  with  thousands  of  years  of 
tradition,  and  to  call  in  Dr.  Mackenzie  and  Dr. 
Irwin  to  treat  Lady  Li.  Just  as  the  prayer-meeting 
was  breaking  up,  the  messenger  arrived. 

Three  years  earlier,  in  Hankow,  Dr.  Mackenzie 
had  been  asked  to  treat  a sick  woman,  but  he  was 
compelled  to  make  a hole  in  a curtain  around  the 
patient’s  bed,  through  which  her  arm  was  protruded, 
that  he  might  examine  her  pulse  and  diagnose  the 
illness.  In  the  case  of  Lady  Li,  permission  was 


(c)  Underwood  & Underwood. 

LI  HUNG  CHANG 


THIS  WELL  KNOWN  MAN  WAS  ONE  OF  THE  ABLEST  CHINESE 
STATESMEN  OF  MODERN  TIMES.” 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE 


181 


given  to  examine  and  question  the  patient.  For 
six  days  the  two  physicians  were  in  close  attendance 
before  she  was  apparently  out  of  danger.  For  com- 
plete restoration  of  health,  it  was  necessary  to  adopt 
a course  of  treatment  which,  according  to  Chinese 
custom,  could  be  administered  by  a woman  only,  so 
a certain  Miss  Howard,  who  was  a physician  and 
a member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Mission  at 
Peking,  was  invited  to  take  up  her  residence,  for 
a time,  in  apartments  especially  prepared  for  her 
in  the  Chinese  palace. 

The  sendee  rendered  to  Lady  Li  was  important 
in  itself.  It  was  of  very  great  value,  also,  to  the 
cause  of  Christian  missions.  It  helped  to  open 
doors  that  had  been  locked  to  foreigners.  The 
daily  visits  of  the  physicians  to  the  palace  became 
known  to  the  populace,  and  the  recovery  of  the 
Viceroy’s  wife  was  cited  widely  by  the  Chinese  as 
evidence  of  the  foreign  doctors’  extraordinary 
ability.  Very  soon  Dr.  Mackenzie  and  Dr.  Irwin 
were  besieged  by  patients.  Of  the  impression  made 
on  the  people,  Dr.  Mackenzie  wrote : “ It  was  a truly 
strange  gathering  we  found  daily  collected  round 
the  outer  gates — the  halt,  the  blind,  and  the  deaf 
were  all  there,  waiting  to  be  healed;  indeed,  that 
whole  city  seemed  to  be  moved.  High  officials 
sought  introductions  to  us  through  the  Viceroy 
himself.”  One  day  the  Viceroy  consented  to  wit- 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


182 

ness  several  operations  which  were  performed  in 
the  court,  in  front  of  his  audience  chamber.  He 
and  lesser  officials,  with  their  attendants,  looked  on 
while  various  operations  were  performed,  without 
pain,  to  patients  under  the  influence  of  chloroform. 
The  effect  on  the  Viceroy  was  immediate  and 
marked.  He  knew  there  were  multitudes  needing 
treatment.  He  knew,  too,  that  Chinese  physicians 
could  not  accomplish  what  he  had  seen  done  by  for- 
eigners. He  was  so  deeply  impressed  that  he  ar- 
ranged immediately  for  a room,  just  outside  his 
official  residence,  to  be  placed  at  the  disposal  of  Dr. 
Mackenzie  as  a dispensary;  and  when  it  became  ev- 
ident that  a single  room  would  not  suffice,  he  set 
apart  an  entire  quadrangle  in  one  of  the  finest  tem- 
ples in  the  city,  placing  over  the  entrance  his  three 
official  titles  and  the  words  “ Free  Hospital.”  At 
the  same  time,  he  made  a contribution  of  two  hun- 
dred taels  1 for  the  purchase  of  medicines,  and  gave 
commissions  to  the  medical  missionaries  to  attend 
his  family  at  his  official  residence,  as  well  as  to  con- 
duct the  free  hospital  at  the  temple.  The  entire  cost 
of  the  conduct  of  the  hospital,  not  including  the 
missionary’s  salary  which  was  paid  by  his  Society, 
was  defrayed  by  the  Viceroy.  Dr.  Howard,  who 
had  attended  Lady  Li,  was  transferred  from  Peking 
to  Tientsin,  where  she  and  her  assistants  took  com- 

1 A tael  is  a Chinese  coin  worth  about  68  cents. 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE  183 


plete  charge  of  the  department  for  women,  in  the 
medical  work  at  the  temple. 

Although  a great  work  was  done  at  the  dispen- 
sary, as  many  as  two  hundred  and  fifty  persons 
sometimes  waiting  in  front  of  the  doors  for  treat- 
ment, Dr.  Mackenzie  felt  the  need  of  a properly 
equipped  hospital;  and  wealthy  patients,  who  had 
been  treated  at  the  dispensary,  were  ready  to  help. 
A certain  general  who  had  been  treated  at  a hotel 
subscribed  five  hundred  taels,  and  the  Prefect  of 
the  city  gave  three  hundred,  while  another  official 
contributed  a thousand.  When  the  Viceroy  heard 
of  the  movement,  he  authorized  a public  appeal  for 
funds,  and  he  himself  offered  to  give  a thousand 
taels.  Grateful  patients  alone  contributed  sufficient 
money  to  clear  the  ground  on  the  Mission  compound 
and  to  complete  one  ward.  The  hospital  was  erected 
in  the  best  style  of  Chinese  architecture,  and  when 
it  was  opened,  the  public  exercises  were  attended 
by  Chinese  officials  and  foreign  diplomats.  It  was 
supported  entirely  from  native  sources. 

The  Viceroy  was  much  interested  in  what  he  had 
heard  regarding  vaccination  as  a protection  against 
the  ravages  of  smallpox.  He  sent  for  Dr.  Macken- 
zie to  vaccinate  his  little  son,  and  he  suggested  that 
the  medical  missionary  establish  a vaccine  depart- 
ment to  help,  in  a large  way,  to  safeguard  the  lives 
of  the  Chinese.  In  the  pressure  of  many  duties 


184 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


that  had  come  to  him,  where  at  first  nearly  all 
doors  seemed  closed,  Dr.  Mackenzie  wrote  to  one 
of  his  friends,  “ The  work  now  is  only  limited  to 
one’s  strength  and  capacity.  May  God  give  us 
strength  in  our  great  weakness.” 

In  the  midst  of  his  successful  work  at  the  hos- 
pital, when  all  indications  pointed  to  war  between 
China  and  Russia,  Dr.  Mackenzie  met  two  English- 
men of  distinction  at  Tientsin.  One  was  Sir 
Thomas  Wade,  British  Minister,  to  whom  Li  Hung 
Chang  gave  a banquet.  Six  foreigners  (among 
them  Dr.  Irwin  and  Dr.  Mackenzie)  and  eight 
Chinese  were  invited.  At  the  banquet,  the  Vice- 
roy spoke  to  his  guest  most  appreciatively  of  the 
medical  missionary  work,  which  was  an  extra- 
ordinary occurrence  at  a time  when  the  motives  of 
all  missionaries  were  usually  misunderstood.  The 
other  distinguished  Englishman  was  General 
Charles  George  Gordon.  His  command,  in  1863, 
of  the  Chinese  force  known  as  the  “ Ever  Victor- 
ious Army,”  against  the  Tai-ping  rebellion,  which 
was  put  down  in  thirty-three  engagements,  led  to 
his  being  known  in  history  as  “ Chinese  Gordon.” 
Dr.  Mackenzie  was  especially  pleased  with  General 
Gordon,  then  in  China  acting  as  adviser  to  the  Gov- 
ernment in  its  relations  with  Russia.  General  Gor- 
don was  a sincere  Christian,  and  Dr.  Mackenzie 
characterized  him  as  “ a man  making  all  love  him 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE  185 


who  came  near  him ; ” and  with  religion  a vital 
part  of  his  life,  though  he  appeared  to  abominate 
anything  approaching  cant. 

After  the  year  1880,  Mrs.  Mackenzie’s  delicate 
health  made  it  impossible  for  her  to  continue  in 
China,  and  she  returned  to  England  with  her  little 
daughter.  In  1882  they  went  back  to  China,  but  it 
seemed  clear  that  Mrs.  Mackenzie  could  not  endure 
the  climate  of  that  country.  The  doctor,  with  a sad 
heart,  took  his  wife  to  London,  where  he  remained 
five  months  on  the  only  furlough  of  his  missionary 
career.  In  July,  1883,  he  set  sail  for  China.  The 
last  four  and  a half  years  of  service  for  China 
v:ere  given  at  great  cost  to  the  entire  family,  but 
so  much  appeared  to  depend  on  the  doctor’s  contin- 
uance at  his  post,  that  they  accepted  the  sacrifice 
involved. 

One  of  his  most  significant  achievements  was 
the  establishment,  at  Tientsin,  of  a small  medical 
college  which  had  the  support  of  the  Government. 
Some  years  earlier,  a number  of  promising  lads, 
ten  or  twelve  years  of  age,  from  good  families, 
had  been  sent  to  America  for  education  in  medicine. 
As  there  were  few  facilities  in  China  for  teaching 
these  young  men  the  branches  which  must  be 
studied  in  advance  of  a medical  course,  they  were 
necessarily  in  America  so  long,  during  the  forma- 
tive period  of  their  lives,  that  they  departed  from 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


186 

Chinese  customs  and  modes  of  thought.  After 
ten  years  abroad,  when  the  most  advanced  students 
were  only  halfway  through  a regular  college  course, 
they  were  called  back  to  China.  It  is  now  custom- 
ary to  have  Chinese  students  complete  a college 
course  in  their  own  land  before  going  abroad  for 
professional  training,  and  the  results  are  encourag- 
ing. 

When  Dr.  Mackenzie  heard  of  the  return  of  these 
students,  he  requested  the  Viceroy  to  place  eight 
of  them  in  his  charge,  for  the  study  of  medicine 
and  surgery  for  use  in  Government  service.  The 
proposal  was  accepted  promptly,  and  the  first  Gov- 
ernment medical  school  in  China  was  opened  in 
December,  1881.  Dr.  Atterbury  of  Peking,  and 
many  of  the  medical  officers  of  English  and  Amer- 
ican naval  detachments  at  Tientsin,  cheerfully  as- 
sisted in  the  medical  work.  At  times,  however,  the 
missionary  was  a “ whole  medical  faculty  in  him- 
self.” In  October,  1884,  six  students  received 
diplomas.  By  1887,  nineteen  young  men  had  com- 
pleted the  medical  course. 

It  is  regrettable  that  more  cannot  be  said  regard- 
ing the  numerous  activities  of  this  remarkably 
useful  man.  The  establishment  of  a hospital  for 
foundlings  (a  feature  of  the  organization  of  the 
China  Medical  Missionary  Association),  his  work 
in  the  country  around  Tientsin,  his  love  for  the 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE  187 


Bible,  his  belief  in  prayer,  and  his  growth  in  grace, 
in  the  years  immediately  before  his  death,  in  1888, 
are  topics  of  deep  interest.  But  a man  who  was 
“ a whole  medical  faculty  in  himself  ” had  no  time 
to  recount  his  achievements  in  journals  or  letters. 
Moreover,  the  making  of  such  a record  was  wholly 
at  variance  with  the  character  of  the  man.  There 
was  work  to  do,  and  he  did  it.  The  motto  of  his 
life  seems  to  have  been  based  on  this  fact. 

Dr.  John  Kenneth  Mackenzie  had  achieved  a 
notable  success  before  he  passed  away,  at  thirty- 
seven  years  of  age.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  his 
life  appeared  to  have  ended  abruptly.  But  now 
it  is  easy  for  his  friends  to  discover  a symmetry 
and  completeness  in  his  work,  although  his  activity 
ceased  at  an  age  when  most  men  are  but  beginning 
to  see  clearly  the  meaning  of  life. 

In  thirteen  years  of  active  service,  he  did  much 
to  overcome  the  deep  prejudice  of  the  conservative 
and  self-satisfied  Chinese  against  Western  med- 
icine. He  was  permitted,  too,  to  treat  successfully 
multitudes  of  suffering  persons,  to  establish  a hos- 
pital that  was  supported  chiefly  by  prominent  Chi- 
nese, to  found  and  conduct  the  first  medical  school 
with  Government  support  in  the  Chinese  Empire, 
and  to  tell  many  of  his  patients  of  the  Great  Physi- 
cian. 

Late  in  March,  1888,  the  busy  missionary  con- 


1 88 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


traded  a severe  cold,  and  with  his  powers  of  resist- 
ance lowered,  through  the  severe  strain  in  body, 
mind,  and  heart,  fever  set  in,  and  the  good  man 
entered  into  rest  and  reward  on  Easter  Day,  April 
i,  1888. 

Much  of  the  interest  of  the  Chinese  in  the  med- 
ical work  at  Tientsin  ceased  with  Dr.  Mackenzie’s 
death.  But  he  had  helped  to  lay  the  foundations  of 
that  which  we  find  in  China  to-day,  where  great 
medical  schools  are  being  established,  and  where 
Chinese  physicians  are  demonstrating  their  ability 
and  their  readiness  to  serve  in  the  spirit  of  Christ, 
as  they  minister  to  their  own  people.  In  the  days 
that  have  passed  since  Dr.  Mackenzie  encountered 
the  strong  Chinese  prejudice  against  Western  med- 
icine, a great  change  has  come  over  the  land  where, 
as  a pioneer,  he  did  notable  work  in  laying  founda- 
tions upon  which  a large  superstructure  is  now  in 
process  of  erection.  Indeed,  much  of  the  super- 
structure is  already  erected. 

It  is  not  strange,  now,  to  find  trained  Chinese 
physicians  in  charge  of  hospitals.  At  Kiukiang, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Yangtse  River,  only  a few 
hours’  sail  from  Hankow,  where  Dr.  Mackenzie 
began  his  missionary  career,  may  be  found  a 
thoroughly  modern  hospital,  conducted  by  the  well 
known  Christian  Chinese  woman,  Dr.  Mary  Stone, 
and  her  large  staff  of  well-trained  assistants  and 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE  189 


nurses.  This  single  hospital,  including  its  dispen- 
sary, gives  almost  25,000  treatments  during  a single 
year  to  the  suffering  people  in  its  vicinity.  Oc- 
casionally, its  capable  and  successful  superintendent 
leaves  the  hospital  entirely  in  the  hands  of  other 
Chinese  women,  while  she  comes  to  America  for 
special  study.  In  missionary  institutions,  many 
Chinese  physicians  are  associated  with  medical 
missionaries,  while  the  number  of  institutions 
established  by  the  Chinese,  independent  of  foreign 
help,  increases  steadily.  Recently  a central  hospital 
at  Peking  has  been  opened,  with  three  resident 
Chinese  physicians,  graduates  of  medical  colleges  in 
China  and  Japan,  and  seven  visiting  physicians. 
The  building  was  erected  at  a cost  of  more  than 
$250,000,  and  the  work  is  maintained  at  an  expendi- 
ture of  $4,000  a month.  As  soon  as  the  hospital 
was  opened,  patients  came  at  the  rate  of  a thousand 
a month,  but  as  only  small  fees  were  charged,  the 
income  was  inconsiderable.  It  is  a fine  tribute  to 
public-spirited  Chinese  physicians  at  Peking,  and 
their  generous  supporters,  that  such  an  institution, 
without  connection  with  any  religious  organization, 
is  being  conducted  on  such  a large  scale  and  so 
successfully. 

While  the  foreigner  may  be  said  to  have  led  the 
way  in  most  of  the  modern  medical  movements  in 
China,  to-day  there  are  numerous  Chinese  who  are 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


190 

deeply  interested  in  whatever  pertains  to  the  health 
of  the  people.  The  Red  Cross  is  well  known  in 
many  sections,  especially  by  reason  of  the  splendid 
service  rendered  under  the  leadership  of  medical 
missionaries  in  the  revolution  of  1911,  and  in  subse- 
quent political  upheavals,  when  thousands  of 
wounded  soldiers  were  cared  for  in  a field  hospital 
or  in  mission  compounds.  After  a severe  engage- 
ment, in  one  of  the  recent  revolutions  in  Szechuen 
Province,  as  many  as  twelve  hundred  wounded  sol- 
diers received  attention  in  the  hospital  and  other 
buildings  of  a single  mission.  The  example  set  by 
medical  missionaries  is  being  followed  by  the  Chi- 
nese themselves. 

There  is  a growing  interest  in  public  health 
education.  The  National  Medical  Association  in 
China  and  the  China  Medical  Missionary  Associa- 
tion are  doing  their  best,  with  the  support  that  is 
given  them,  to  conduct  a nation-wide  campaign 
against  tuberculosis  and  other  diseases,  through  the 
education  of  the  public.  Sanitation  and  hygiene  are 
being  taught  publicly  and  privately.  In  this  move- 
ment, the  Chinese  and  the  medical  missionaries 
are  cooperating  cordially,  and  they  have  worked  out 
plans,  the  execution  of  which  will  be  an  inestimable 
blessing  to  the  nation,  whenever  friends  can  be 
found  who  will  support  it  adequately. 

To-day  there  are  several  medical  colleges  in 


JOHN  KENNETH  MACKENZIE  191 


China  in  which  Western  medicine  is  being  taught, 
some  with,  and  others  without,  missionary  support. 
At  Peking  and  Shanghai  great  colleges  are  being 
established  by  the  China  Medical  Board,  which  will 
endeavor  to  give  instruction  of  as  high  grade  as  can 
be  found  in  similar  institutions  in  America  or 
Europe.  The  China  Medical  Board  generously  re- 
cognizes the  foundation-work  of  those  pioneers 
who,  with  inadequate  support,  did  much  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  what  is  now  possible.  It  seems 
only  a matter  of  a few  years  before  the  great  work 
of  ministering  to  the  suffering  millions  in  China  will 
be  undertaken  chiefly  by  well-trained  Chinese  physi- 
cians. As  the  larger  day  dawns,  it  is  apparent  that 
the  missionaries  were  the  pioneers  in  medical  work, 
as  well  as  in  education  in  the  Orient,  and  among  the 
pioneers  must  be  counted  the  devoted  and  faithful 
worker,  John  Kenneth  Mackenzie. 


IX 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


% 


THE  MAR  CANAL,  SRINAGAR. 


BALCONIED  HOUSES  OVERHANGING  THE  CANALS,  THE  HOMES 
OF  THE  WELL-TO-DO.” 


IX 

THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 

^pHE  vale  of  Kashmir!  There  is  enchantment 
in  the  name, — Kashmir! 

“ A vale  of  purple  glens  and  snow-cold  streams, 

Calm  lakes  that  bear  the  lotus  on  their  breast.” 
Where  lies  this  valley  of  legend  and  wondrous 
beauty,  along  whose  borders 

“ A hundred  miles  of  snow-clad  mountain  peak 
On  either  side  uprear  their  heads  to  heaven  ” ? 

If  you  would  find  it,  follow  the  Himalaya  ranges 
into  the  most  northern  reaches  of  India’s  borders, 
where  in  summer  the  high  mountain  passes  permit 
adventurous  travelers  to  cross  over  into  other  lands 
whose  names  fascinate  by  their  suggestion  of  wild- 
ness and  obscurity — Afghanistan,  Turkestan  and 
Tibet.  These  three  names  alone  conjure  up  scenes 
of  alien  and  barbaric  charm. 

In  many  respects  this  most  northerly  province 
controlled  by  the  government  of  India  is  not  unlike 

195 


196 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Switzerland.  There  are  fertile  valleys  and  hillsides, 
watered  by  streams  that  trickle  from  glaciers  on 
mountains  many  thousand  feet  higher  than  the 
Jungfrau,  the  Matterhorn  or  Mont  Blanc,  and  just 
as  beautiful.  Not  one  of  these  great  Swiss  moun- 
tains is  16,000  feet  high,  yet  hundreds  of  tourists 
visit  them  every  year,  to  admire  and  to  wonder. 
What  would  these  same  tourists  say  on  visiting  a 
great  valley  ninety  miles  long,  traversed  by  a beau- 
tiful river,  and  inclosed  by  towering  white  peaks, 
loftier  far  than  those  of  Switzerland. 

From  the  melting  snows  on  these  great  mourn 
tains  come  rushing,  foaming  torrents,  icy-cold,  that 
are  in  time  quieted  into  clear  rivers,  or  are  becalmed 
into  lakes  which  mirror  the  snow-capped  peaks.  In 
lower  altitudes  the  shores  of  these  lakes  are  glori- 
fied with  borders  of  lotus,  that  lovely,  large  pink 
flower  with  blue-green  leaves,  red  underneath. 
Wild  flowers  are  everywhere.  Red  poppies  fill  the 
wheat  fields  in  spring.  Purple  iris  grows  along  the 
paths  and  on  the  river  banks.  The  white  and  crim- 
son anemone,  the  first  signs  of  spring,  are  followed 
by  yellow  crocuses.  Red  sorrel  gives  color  to  entire 
hillsides.  Of  course  the  rose  of  Kashmir,  with  its 
peculiar  perfume,  is  the  most  famous  flower  of 
the  land,  but  the  water-lily,  the  honeysuckle,  the 
hazel,  the  hawthorn,  the  wild  plum,  the  clematis, 
the  balsam,  the  forget-me-not,  and  the  columbine 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


197 


must  not  be  overlooked.  And  besides  countless 
flowers,  there  are  forests  of  fir  and  spruce  and 
birch.  Goats,  sheep,  buffaloes  and  other  animals 
graze  on  the  hillsides.  It  is  indeed  a land  where 
“ every  prospect  pleases.”  If  man  were  entirely  the 
creature  of  natural  environment,  we  might  expect 
the  inhabitants  of  Kashmir  to  be  a remarkable 
people. 

Nothing  is  known  of  the  aborigines  of  Kashmir. 
However,  there  is  a written  record  of  a succession 
of  Kashmiri  kings  from  3120  b.c.  to  1445  B-c- 
Unfortunately,  most  of  the  old  Hindu  books  in 
Kashmir  were  destroyed  in  the  fourteenth  century 
by  the  Tartar  invader,  Zulzer,  whose  work  of  dev- 
astation was  carried  farther  by  Sikander  the  Icon- 
oclast. Only  a few  old  manuscripts  escaped.  The 
earliest  legends  surviving  are  Hindu,  but  we  do  not 
know  when  that  cult  made  its  appearance  in  Kash- 
mir. Some  Kashmiri  Hindus  claim  that  certain 
massive  temples  in  their  land  were  built  by  giants 
or  by  the  gods. 

Possibly  two  or  three  centuries  before  the  Chris- 
tian era  Buddhism  made  its  appearance  in  Kashmir, 
but  by  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century  a.d. 
monasteries  were  few  and  Buddhists  were  moving 
eastward  into  Tibet  and  across  China.  Then  came 
a period  of  control  by  Hindu  kings,  followed  by  the 
Tartar  Invasion.  In  1323  Mohammedan  rule  began 


198 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


and,  with  a brief  interruption,  continued  for  nearly 
four  hundred  and  fifty  years.  Afghans  and  Sikhs 
had  in  turn  oppressed  the  country  for  short  periods 
when,  in  1846,  Kashmir  was  ceded  to  the  British 
Government  by  the  Sikhs,  in  place  of  war  indem- 
nity. Under  British  direction  came  peace,  reform, 
and  development  of  natural  resources,  together  with 
the  introduction  of  many  institutions  for  the  uplift 
of  the  people. 

The  people  of  Kashmir,  usually  of  light  brown 
complexion,  are  often  dirty  in  appearance.  Their 
loose  shirts,  with  wide  sleeves  originally  white,  soon 
take  on  another  color.  A woollen  blanket  is  thrown 
about  the  shoulder,  while  short  trousers  and  straw 
sandals  complete  the  costume  for  the  men.  The 
women  wear  caps  with  cloths  attached  that  serve  as 
veils,  and  dark  blue  gowns  stamped  in  red.  Offi- 
cials and  other  persons  of  position  dress  more  pre- 
tentiously. Many  wear  charms,  such  as  leopards’ 
claws  or  metal  ornaments.  The  people  are  usually 
happy  and  good-tempered.  They  are  strong  phy- 
sically, but  nervous,  and  will  often  weep  on  slight 
provocation.  They  have  a fairly  well  developed 
moral  sense,  are  affectionate  in  their  homes,  and 
attentive  to  sick  relatives.  Their  mud  houses  are 
without  chimneys,  and  in  consequence  are  smoke- 
begrimed.  Their  language  is  of  Hindu  origin.  In 
religion,  more  than  nine-tenths  are  Mohammedans, 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


199 


the  remainder  being  Hindus.  In  general  they  are 
grossly  illiterate.  Such  were  the  people  to  whom 
Arthur  Neve,  M.D.,  was  sent  by  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society,  in  1882. 

Arthur  Neve  was  born  in  Brighton,  England,  in 
1858,  and  in  time  he  studied  medicine  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Edinburgh.  While  yet  a student,  David 
Livingstone’s  life  appealed  to  him  strongly,  and  he 
decided  to  volunteer  for  service  in  Africa.  Sud- 
denly, however,  the  Church  Missionary  Society  was 
confronted  with  an  urgent  need  for  a medical  man 
for  Kashmir,  to  take  charge  of  the  hospital  at 
Srinagar.  Dr.  Elmslie,  the  first  medical  missionary 
ever  appointed  by  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
had  died,  and  his  successor,  Dr.  Maxwell,  had 
broken  down  in  health  a year  or  two  later.  A third 
medical  missionary,  Dr.  Downes,  was  retiring  on 
account  of  ill  health. 

The  Kashmir  Mission  had  been  opened  about 
1863  by  the  Rev.  Robert  Clark.  The  first  attempt 
at  medical  mission  work  met  with  great  opposition. 
The  governor  and  other  officials  were  antagonistic 
and  apparently  permitted,  if  they  did  not  incite, 
mob  violence.  In  1864  Mr.  Clark  made  the  follow- 
ing entry  in  his  diary : 

“ The  house  was  literally  besieged  with  men  and 
noisy  boys.  They  stood  by  hundreds  on  the  bridge, 
and  lined  the  river  on  both  sides,  shouting,  and  one 


200 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


man  striking  a gong,  to  collect  the  people.  Not  a 
chuprasse,  or  police  officer,  or  soldier,  or  official  of 
any  kind  appeared.  The  tumult  quickly  increased, 
and  no  efforts  were  made  to  stop  it.  The  people 
began  to  throw  stones  and  some  of  them  broke 
down  the  wall  of  the  compound  and  stables.  Our 
servants  became  greatly  alarmed,  for  they  threat- 
ened to  burn  the  house  down.  The  number  present 
was  between  one  thousand  and  one  thousand  five 
hundred.  When  I went  to  the  Wazir  to  ask  for 
protection,  it  was  said  that  he  was  asleep.  He  kept 
me  waiting  for  two  hours  and  then  did  not  even 
give  me  a chair.  He  promised  to  send  a guard  and 
never  did  so.  The  police  also  announced  that  if 
any  one  rented  a house  to  the  missionaries,  all  the 
skin  would  be  taken  off  their  backs.” 

A few  weeks  later  Mr.  Clark  wrote  in  his  jour- 
nal : 

“ Men  are  again  stationed  on  the  bridge,  as  they 
were  for  weeks  together  last  year,  to  prevent  any 
one  from  coming  to  us.  Our  servants  cannot  buy 
the  mere  necessaries  of  life,  and  we  have  to  send 
strangers  to  the  other  end  of  the  city  to  purchase 
flour.” 

For  several  years  Dr.  Elmslie  received  treatment 
similar  to  that  accorded  Mr.  Clark,  and  the  opposi- 
tion to  medical  missionaries  yielded  slowly.  How- 
ever, when  Dr.  Arthur  Neve  arrived,  he  found  the 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


201 


hospital  established  and  the  doors  for  service  wide 
open  in  every  direction.  His  predecessors’  unselfish 
labors  for  the  sufferers  in  Kashmir  had  over- 
come much  of  the  prejudice. 

Dr.  Neve  was  thrilled  as  he  crossed  the  mountain 
range  and  enjoyed  his  first  panorama  of  the  Kash- 
mir Valley.  At  the  summit  of  the  pass  he  stood 
entranced.  What  a vision  of  grandeur  he  beheld! 
Twenty  miles  to  the  north  the  peaks,  covered  with 
snow  and  glaciers,  rose  to  enormous  heights,  orange 
and  pink  in  the  afternoon  sun,  and  fading  into 
purple  in  the  shadows  of  the  valleys.  Wular  Lake, 
far  down  in  the  emerald  valley,  reflected  the  sur- 
rounding glory,  and  the  wilder  regions  of  the  Him- 
alayas to  the  east  seemed  to  be  calling  him  already 
to  explorations  which  he  was  to  attempt  so  often  in 
the  future.  But  if  the  young  missionary  expected 
beauty  and  purity  everywhere  in  the  romantic  Vale 
of  Kashmir,  he  was  quickly  disillusioned  upon  ar- 
rival at  his  station. 

The  capital  city,  Srinagar,  is  surrounded  by 
scenes  of  Alpine  beauty.  The  Kashmir  Mission 
Hospital,  perched  on  a jutting  hillside  overlooking 
the  city,  commands  also  a view  of  a vale  of  purple 
glens  and  clear,  snow-cold  streams.  Srinagar  has 
a population  of  126,000  people,  living  in  crowded 
houses,  and  using  for  their  chief  and  central  high- 
way the  Jhelum  River,  with  intersecting  canals  that 


202 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


would  make  of  Srinagar  a second  Venice,  if  people 
and  architecture  only  lent  themselves  appropriately. 
While  Srinagar  has  been  called  “ The  City  of  the 
Sun,”  it  has  also  been  suggested  that  it  might  be 
called  “ The  City  of  Appalling  Odors.”  The  dense 
population  is  ignorant  of  sanitation.  The  drainage 
of  a city  without  sewers  runs  into  stagnant  canals 
in  which  people  bathe  and  wash  their  clothes,  and 
from  which  women  fill  their  jars  with  water  for 
drinking  and  cooking.  Portions  of  the  crowded 
city  never  receive  a direct  ray  of  sunlight,  and  in 
consequence  there  is  a deposit  of  vile  black  mud  in 
winter  and  nothing  less  than  a riot  of  pestilential 
odors  in  summer. 

In  1886  Dr.  Arthur  Neve  was  joined  by  his  bro- 
ther, Dr.  Ernest  F.  Neve,  who  had  also  studied  at 
the  University  of  Edinburgh,  where  he  established  a 
record  for  thorough  work  in  his  classes,  activity  in 
religious  organizations,  and  service  for  the  poorer 
classes.  The  younger  physician  declared  that  Srin- 
agar, from  a sanitary  standpoint,  was  like  a powder 
magazine  waiting  for  a spark. 

The  spark  fell  into  the  magazine  a few  months 
after  his  arrival,  when  a case  of  cholera  appeared 
in  the  city,  and  soon  he  and  his  brother  and  the 
Superintendent  of  the  State  Hospital  were  face  to 
face  with  a baffling  situation.  When  the  outbreak 
occurred,  the  Mission  Hospital  was  crowded  with 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


203 


more  than  a hundred  patients,  while  great  numbers 
daily  thronged  the  waiting-rooms.  On  one  day 
alone  the  two  doctors  admitted  thirty  patients  to  the 
hospital  and  performed  fifty-three  operations.  Two 
of  the  patients  died  from  cholera,  and  in  a few 
hours  the  hospital  was  empty.  The  people  were 
panic-stricken.  In  two  months,  more  than  ten  thou- 
sand died  in  the  city.  Dr.  Ernest  Neve,  cooperat- 
ing with  the  state  physician,  took  charge  of  a large 
section  of  Srinagar;  and  Dr.  Arthur  Neve  visited 
almost  every  section  of  the  valley  (nearly  ninety 
miles  long)  where  deaths  were  reported.  Wher- 
ever pure  water  could  be  secured  in  good  supply,  the 
people  escaped  to  a great  extent.  To  teach  the 
populace  a few  simple  principles  of  safeguarding 
their  health  by  suitable  food  and  water  was  the 
privilege  of  the  physicians. 

Srinagar  suffered  again  and  again  from  the 
scourge  of  cholera.  In  reporting  an  epidemic  Dr. 
Arthur  Neve  wrote: 

“ The  turbid  and  lazy  stream  sweeps  against  the 
prow  masses  of  dirty  foam,  floating  straw,  dead 
bodies  of  dogs,  and  all  other  garbage  of  a great 
city.  How  can  one  admire  the  great  sweep  of  snow 
mountains,  the  deep  azure  of  the  sky,  and  broad 
rippling  sheet  of  cloud  and  sky-reflecting  water, 
when  every  sense  is  assailed  by  things  that  disgust. 
Upon  one  bank  stands  a neat  row  of  wooden  huts. 


204 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


This  is  a cholera  hospital.  Upon  the  other  bank 
the  blue  smoke,  curling  up  from  a blazing  pile,  gives 
atmosphere  and  distance  to  the  rugged  mountains. 
It  is  a funeral  pyre.  And  as  our  boat  passes  into 
the  city,  now  and  again  we  meet  other  boats,  each 
with  its  burden  of  death.  All  traffic  seems  to  be 
suspended.  Shops  are  closed.  Now  and  again, 
from  some  neighboring  barge,  we  hear  the  wail  of 
mourners,  the  shrieks  of  women  as  in  a torture  den, 
echoed  away  among  the  houses  on  the  bank.” 

In  1885  the  Kashmir  Valley  was  shaken  by  a 
terrific  earthquake.  It  was  most  violent  near  Bara- 
mula,  where  villages  were  reduced  to  ruins  and 
thousands  of  persons  were  killed  outright.  In  one 
hamlet  only  seven  of  the  forty-seven  inhabitants 
survived,  and  four  of  these  seven  were  severely 
injured. 

Immediately  after  the  earthquake,  Dr.  Arthur 
Neve  hastened  to  Baramula  and  opened  an  emer- 
gency hospital.  Other  missionaries  visited  the  dev- 
astated district  to  collect  in  boats  the  wounded  who 
could  be  taken  to  Dr.  Neve.  In  two  weeks’  touring, 
they  visited  villages  where  the  roll  of  the  dead  in- 
cluded not  less  than  three  thousand.  Besides  the 
dead,  there  were  many  injured  whose  cases  became 
more  serious  daily,  as  bones  began  to  knit  in  un- 
natural forms,  dislocations  to  stiffen,  and  wounds 
to  mortify.  Such  service  as  was  rendered  by  the 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


205' 


missionaries  could  not  fail  to  reach  the  hearts  of 
the  distressed  people. 

In  times  of  special  need,  the  missionary  staff  at 
Srinagar  could  always  rely  on  the  help  of  the  older 
boys  in  the  Mission  School  which,  by  1912,  enrolled 
about  fifteen  hundred  students  of  varying  ages. 
Dr.  Elmslie,  the  first  medical  missionary  in  Kash- 
mir, had  begun  the  educational  work.  Fortunate 
the  mission  whose  pioneers  are  wise  enough  to 
establish  good  schools  and  thus  prepare  the  na- 
tive forces  for  leadership  in  Christian  movements 
in  their  own  lands ! The  Kashmiri  boy  was  not 
an  encouraging  subject  for  Christian  education,  but 
Dr.  Elmslie  and  his  successors, — such  men  as  the 
Rev.  C.  E.  Tyndale-Biscoe  and  the  Rev.  F.  E. 
Lucey — had  faith  in  the  power  of  the  gospel,  taught 
through  daily  example  as  well  as  by  precept,  to 
transform  the  characters  of  the  unpromising  lads 
of  the  Kashmir  Valley.  “ In  all  things  be  men,” 
was  the  inspiring  motto  of  the  school.  A pair  of 
canoe  paddles,  crossed,  was  the  crest.  The  paddles 
signified  hard  work,  or  strength.  The  paddle 
blades,  in  the  shape  of  a heart,  suggested  kindness; 
for  true  manhood  was  described  by  the  teachers  as  a 
combination  of  strength  and  kindness.  The  crossed 
paddles  suggested  the  Christian  symbol  of  self- 
sacrifice  and  was  intended  to  remind  them  from 
Whom  they  should  seek  inspiration  to  be  true  men. 


20 6 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Throughout  the  city,  schoolboys  might  be  ^een 
wearing  this  badge,  and  any  one  in  danger  or  dis- 
tress might  appeal  to  them  for  assistance,  since  they 
had  been  taught  to  be  ready  always  to  serve  those 
in  special  need.  Their  sports  at  school  were  taught 
not  for  their  personal  pleasure,  but  to  make  them 
stronger  in  the  service  of  the  weak.  One  of  the 
practical  results  of  the  aquatic  sports  was  the  saving 
of  eight  lives  in  a single  year.  If  a conflagration 
was  discovered  in  the  city,  the  school  was  quickly 
dismissed  for  the  day,  while  the  principal  and  his 
boys  hurried  to  the  fire,  taking  along  the  fire-engine 
from  the  mission-compound  and  fighting  the  flames, 
thus  saving  the  lives  of  women  and  children. 

The  boys  wrere  taught  to  protect  women  from  in- 
sult, to  show  kindness  to  invalids  and  old  people,  and 
to  prevent  cruelty  to  animals.  One  winter  a hun- 
dred starving  donkeys  were  fed  by  the  boys.  Oc- 
casionally, a sanitary  corps  would  visit  some 
especially  unwholesome  section  of  the  city  and,  with 
pick  and  shovel,  show  what  was  required  to  prevent 
the  spread  of  disease.  Convalescents  from  the  hos- 
pital were  taken  out  on  the  lake  for  an  airing.  The 
boys  assisted  the  police  in  running  down  gangs  of 
men  who  terrorized  women  and  children,  and  they 
held  boat-races  on  the  river  when  cholera  raged,  in 
order  to  enliven  the  people  and  relieve  their  mental 
tension.  Once,  when  told  that  the  plague  offered 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


20  7 


many  opportunities  to  them  to  play  the  man,  the 
boys  actually  gave  three  cheers  for  the  cholera! 
;When  floods  swept  the  valley,  they  rescued  families 
that  were  stranded  on  roofs  of  houses  or  on  small 
spots  of  dry  ground.  Native  teachers  in  the  school 
gave  their  personal  assistance  to  the  medical  mis- 
sionaries in  caring  for  cholera  patients,.  The  big 
task  which  Mr.  Tyndale-Biscoe  undertook  was  “ to 
teach  the  boys  manliness,  loyalty,  charity,  manners, 
cleanliness,  truth,  and  Christian  doctrine.” 

The  Englishman’s  determination  to  take  an  oc- 
casional vacation  is  a saving  grace.  The  strain  of 
hard  labor  is  relieved  and  usefulness  is  enhanced 
if  one  knows  how  to  throw  aside  his  usual  cares 
and  enjoy  new  surroundings.  Both  of  the  Neves 
loved  the  mountains.  Dr.  Arthur  Neve  used  his 
first  vacation  to  “ spy  out  the  land  ” as  a mission- 
ary, and  also  to  gratify  the  love  of  exploration 
which  had  been  calling  him,  from  his  first  day  in 
Kashmir,  to  journey  over  some  of  the  highest 
mountain  passes  and  to  place  his  feet  on  summits 
never  before  scaled.  Dr.  Ernest  Neve  made  a rec- 
ord for  more  “ first  ascents  ” than  any  other  person 
in  Kashmir. 

On  the  first  of  his  many  adventures,  in  scram- 
bling over  the  glaciers  and  scaling  the  peaks  far  up 
the  Himalayas,  Dr.  Arthur  Neve  took  along,  be- 
sides porters,  a cook,  and  a stalwart  Sikh,,  a trained 


208 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


hospital  assistant,  to  help  in  compounding  med- 
icines for  sick  persons  encountered  in  the  vil- 
lages. It  was  a relief  to  the  missionary  to  get  out 
into  the  silent  places  of  the  world  and  to  make 
friends  with  birds  and  flowers  and  glaciers.  It 
was  thrilling,  too,  to  stand  on  snow-fields  several 
miles  higher  than  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  hear 
every  few  moments  the  crash  of  ice,  as  thousands  of 
tons,  in  a single  mass,  would  be  loosened  from  a 
glacier  and  strike  against  mountainsides  with 
thunderous  roar;  or  to  listen  to  the  reverberations 
from  peak  to  peak  of  the  report  of  cracking  glaciers. 

The  first  climb  up  Alampi  Pass  was  long  but  in- 
creasingly inspiring.  It  appeared  more  beautiful 
than  anything  Dr.  Arthur  Neve  had  seen  in  Swit- 
zerland. The  great  charm  was  in  the  wild,  untram- 
meled freedom  of  it  all.  Man  seemed  not  to  have 
touched  it  anywhere.  There  were  no  artificial  paths 
and  no  bridges  except  where  ice  spanned  a stream. 

Dr.  Neve  wrote : 

“ I had  been  as  a lad  on  the  Breuva  glacier,  and 
had  seen  the  huge  snow  slopes  and  ice  cliffs  on 
the  east  face  of  Mont  Blanc,  but  Nanga  Parbat  is 
infinitely  more  stately  and  impressive  . . . Three 
great  glacier-rivers  pour  their  cascades  of  ice  into 
the  Rupal  Nullah.  A boulder  started  at  the  sum- 
mit would  break  to  pieces  in  the  fall,  but  the  frag- 
ments would  only  come  to  a rest  15,000  feet  below.” 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


209 


On  this  first  adventure,  he  was  satisfied  to  stop 
on  the  top  of  the  pass,  nearly  17,000  feet  above  sea- 
level,  and  view  the  peaks  towering  above  him. 
That  day  he  saw  Nanga  Parbat,  26,620  feet 
high.  Later,  he  slept  one  night  at  an  altitude  of 
17,000  feet;  and  the  next  day  the  party  pressed 
on  with  axes  and  Alpine  ropes,  up  to  even  greater 
heights  of  stone  and  snow  and  ice. 

“ I found  a bridge  of  thin  new  avalanche  snow,” 
Dr.  Neve’s  journal  for  that  day  chronicles,  “ and. 
tried  to  get  over  it  by  crawling.  It  broke  away 
under  me  and  I was  hauled  up  . . . Several  times 
during  the  day  pieces  of  the  cornice  1,000  feet 
above  us  broke  away  and  caused  small  avalanches. 
Again  I tried  to  the  left,  but  obviously  no  old  snow- 
bridges  could  be  expected,  and  the  thought  of  our 
porters  and  servants  demanded  retreat.” 

Many  were  the  expeditions  into  the  mountains 
that  renewed  the  strength  of  the  missionaries  for 
further  service  in  Srinagar,  with  its  careless  people 
and  its  fetid  odors.  And  in  time  the  fame  of  the 
brothers  had  spread  over  Kashmir  so  widely  that 
wherever  one  of  them  camped  overnight,  unless  it 
were  too  high  for  permanent  human  habitation,  the 
sick,  the  blind,  and  the  lame,  came  to  him  for  treat- 
ment. Such  occasions  were  used,  also,  to  tell  the 
people  of  the  Healer  of  Souls,  for  both  men  were 
constrained  by  the  love  of  Christ  and  felt  that  they 


210 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


must  witness  for  Him  by  word  as  well  as  by  deed. 

The  work  of  the  two  brothers  grew  apace.  In 
the  year  1899  n0  ^ess  than  35'°°°  visits  had  been 
registered  at  the  hospital,  besides  patients  seen  in 
the  villages  when  camping.  Some  came  from  the 
balconied  houses  overhanging  the  canals,  the  homes 
of  the  well-to-do;  others  came  from  the  Rajah’s 
family  or  the  homes  of  Mohammedan  mullahs. 
Most  of  them  came  from  “ the  narrow,  crowded 
alleys  where  the  sun  scarcely  penetrates,  and  courts 
where  the  festering  heaps  of  filth  poison  the  air; 
quarters  of  the  town  where  disease  is  ever  rampant, 
and  epidemics  are  bred.” 

A large  proportion  of  the  medical  cases  were 
from  the  city,  but  most  of  the  surgical  cases 
came  from  the  villages,  of  which  there  were 
thousands  on  the  plains  and  hillsides.  Mountain- 
eers came  over  the  snowy  passes  in  summer,  or  sent 
their  sick.  Even  in  remote  Baltistan,  more  than  a 
hundred  miles  north  of  Srinagar,  the  hospital,  its 
Christian  physicians,  and  their  sister,  Miss  Nora 
Neve,  who  became  Superintendent  of  Nurses  at  this 
station  of  love  and  mercy,  were  known.  Discharged 
patients  returned  to  little  groups  of  neighbors  in 
many  sections  of  the  country  to  report  what  they 
had  seen  at  the  Mission  Hospital,  and  perhaps  to 
repeat  the  messages  they  heard  there  of  Him  in 
whose  name  it  was  all  being  done. 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


21 1 


Although  the  work  at  the  hospital  was  always 
heavy,  both  doctors  considered  it  advisable  to  go 
out  occasionally  on  camping  trips,  not  only  for  rec- 
reation, but  in  order  to  get  close  to  the  people  by 
living  among  them,  and  to  minister  to  many  who 
would  never  come  to  Srinagar.  They  would  place 
medicines,  surgical  instruments,  dressings,  tents 
and  bedding  aboard  a flat-bottomed  boat,  and  drift 
down  the  river,  paddle  across  Wular  Lake,  and 
secure  porters  to  carry  the  baggage  over  the  moun- 
tain passes.  On  one  such  trip,  after  walking  through 
forests  where  the  bear  and  leopard,  as  well  as 
troops  of  monkeys,  made  their  home,  Dr.  Ernest 
Neve  took  up  his  quarters  in  a log  hut  with  a flat 
earthen  roof,  on  the  border  of  dense  stretches  of 
pine,  cedar,  and  spruce,  and  close  to  groves  of  wal- 
nut trees  sheltering  other  dark  brown  huts,  where 
the  people  lived  on  the  borders  of  their  flooded  rice- 
fields. 

At  such  a time  it  is  quickly  noised  about  that  one 
of  the  far-famed  doctors  of  Srinagar  is  in  the  hut 
on  the  edge  of  the  forest,  and  early  next  morning  a 
hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  country  people 
are  to  be  seen  among  the  pine  trees,  waiting  for  a 
man  of  whose  ability  to  heal  the  sick  they  have 
heard.  The  medicines  and  instruments  are  arranged 
on  a table,  while  the  peasants  gather  in  a semicircle 
facing  the  doctor  and  his  native  assistants.  Dr. 


212 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Neve  tells  them  of  the  purpose  of  his  visit;  that  he 
has  come  down  from  the  hospital  at  Srinagar  hop- 
ing to  help  those  who  are  sick.  Possibly  several  in 
the  group  remark  that  they  have  been  to  the  hos- 
pital, where  they  were  well  treated  and  where  they 
recovered.  The  kindly  doctor  tells  them,  too,  that 
he  has  come  to  give  them  the  good  news  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ,  and  then  he  reads  a few  verses  of 
Scripture,  commenting  in  simple  language  on  the 
old  story  of  man’s  sinful  condition,  God’s  love  for 
sinful  men,  and  Christ  as  the  Savior  from  sin.  He 
tells  them  that  his  work  at  the  hospital  and  in  the 
villages  is  Christ’s  work,  for  it  is  done  by  one  of 
His  disciples,  at  His  command,  in  His  name,  and 
for  His  honor.  Then,  after  a brief  prayer,  the 
medical  work  is  begun  and  is  continued  until  all 
have  received  treatment. 

Interest  becomes  intense  whenever  chloroform  is 
administered,  and  a hush  falls  over  the  crowd. 
Possibly  they  regard  it  as  some  kind  of  mystic  rite. 
The  next  day  the  attendance  is  larger  still,  and  so 
on,  day  after  day,  until  the  crowds  become  almost 
unmanageable.  Then  the  camp  is  moved  over  a 
high  mountain-pass  into  another  valley,  for  the 
gospel  must  be  preached  in  other  villages  also. 

It  is  regrettable  that  the  stories  of  thrilling  ad- 
venture and  of  unselfish  services  rendered  on  various 
journeys  by  both  men,  can  be  barely  mentioned 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


213 


here.  Each  missionary  found  delight  in  scaling 
high  mountain  peaks,  while  the  journeys  to  Tibet 
furnished  excellent  opportunity  for  exploration 
among  the  ice  crags.  Dr.  Arthur  Neve  camped  one 
night  on  his  journey  thither  at  an  altitude  of  19,- 
000  feet,  where  water  boiled  at  a point  a trifle 
below  180  degrees.  Another  night  he  camped 
among  ice  and  snow  at  20,000  feet,  where  the  boil- 
ing-point was  178  degrees.  Frequently  he  found 
himself  among  peaks  more  than  25,000  feet  high. 

At  last  he  reached  Leh,  the  chief  market  of  West- 
ern Tibet,  where  traders  from  China,  Russia,  and 
India  meet  for  an  exchange  of  wares.  The  streets 
of  this  remarkable  town  in  the  desert,  the  meeting- 
place  of  the  Aryan  and  Mongol  races,  are  full  of 
picturesque  characters.  Leh  is  also  the  center  of 
Lamaism,  a variety  of  Buddhism.  Numerous  Bud- 
dhist images  and  monasteries  are  seen  in  that  re- 
gion. One  monastery  at  Hemis,  twenty  miles  from 
Leh,  shelters  about  300  Buddhist  priests  and  is 
famed  for  its  Devil  Dance.  The  object  of  this 
dance  seems  to  be  to  illustrate  the  struggle  of  de- 
mons for  the  soul  of  man  and  the  value  of  inter- 
cession by  the  priests.  Each  of  the  doctors  from 
Kashmir  was  made  welcome,  at  different  times,  by 
the  monks  in  their  massive  dwellings  on  the  barren 
hills,  which  the  visitors  found  full  of  interest.  Of 
one  of  the  monasteries  Dr.  Ernest  Neve  wrote: 


214 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


“ Time  fails  to  tell  of  all  the  wonders  we  saw — 
the  steep  stairs  and  ladders,  the  tunnel-like  passages, 
giddy  precipices,  curious  little  cells  and  fierce  Tibe- 
tan mastiffs,  the  rows  of  prayer  cylinders,  the 
painted  stones,  and,  strangest  of  all,  the  large  wall 
frescoes  of  hideous  demons.” 

On  the  journeys  to  Tibet  there  were  numerous 
occasions  for  preaching  the  gospel  through  inter- 
preters and  for  practising  it  in  unselfish  service, 
which  is  its  own  interpreter.  The  Christian  mis- 
sionaries rejoiced  at  every  opportunity  to  serve  the 
Buddhist  monks.  Many  of  the  priests  had  catar- 
acts removed  from  their  eyes,  and  besides  restoring 
physical  sight,  doubtless  many  were  made  to  see 
more  clearly  the  nature  of  the  Christ  whose  mes- 
sengers had  served  them  so  effectively. 

One  time,  as  Dr.  Arthur  Neve  was  leaving  Tibet, 
three  blind  women  at  the  wayside,  one  evening  at 
dusk,  begged  him  to  have  mercy  on  them.  He 
told  them  to  go  to  the  Moravian  Mission  Hospital 
at  Leh,  where  he  had  been  so  warmly  received  by 
the  seven  missionaries  at  this  remotest  outpost  of 
Christian  missions  in  Central  Asia.  The  women 
asked  him  if  they,  blind,  could  be  expected  to  go 
over  a high  mountain  pass.  The  argument  was  con- 
clusive. “ Come  at  daybreak,”  was  the  reply. 

The  three  blind  women  waited  patiently  all  night, 
and  for  breakfast  they  had  no  food  but  a little  raw 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


215 


dough.  When  daylight  came,  the  doctor  found  he 
had  no  way  to  sterilize  his  instruments.  For  some 
reason,  no  fire  and  no  matches  were  at  hand.  Flint 
and  steel  were  not  sufficient  to  ignite  wet  wood.  At 
last,  fraying  out  part  of  a shirt,  and  using  powder 
and  flint  and  steel,  a fire  was  lighted  under  a cook- 
ing-pot in  which  the  instruments  were  boiled. 
Kneeling  in  the  sand,  the  doctor  removed  cataracts 
from  the  eyes  of  the  three  patient  women,  before 
hastening  on  his  journey  back  to  Kashmir. 

Doctors  Arthur  and  Ernest  Neve  and  their  de- 
voted sister  have  built  wisely  and  nobly  on  founda- 
tions which  were  laid  by  their  predecessors;  laid 
securely,  in  spite  of  opposition  that  finally  melted 
in  the  presence  of  unselfish  Christian  love.  The 
first  mud  buildings  have  been  replaced  by  substantial 
structures  whose  wide  verandas,  graceful  towers, 
and  red  roofs  and  gables  break  the  line  of  green 
foliage  for  nearly  a quarter  of  a mile,  on  a high 
ridge  overlooking  the  city  and  valley.  The  Red 
Cross  flag,  waving  over  the  buildings,  has  sent  a 
message  of  cheer  and  love  to  thousands  of  persons. 

The  splendid  work  done  in  this  distant  city  is 
worthy  of  all  praise.  Year  after  year  thousands  of 
sufferers  go  to  the  hospital  for  relief.  As  long  ago 
as  1912  it  was  estimated  that,  since  the  work  was 
begun  in  a small  way  in  1865,  more  persons  applied 
to  the  hospital  for  help  than  there  were  inhabitants 


2l6 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


in  the  great  and  famous  Valley  of  Kashmir.  In 
ten  years,  as  many  as  400,000  came  to  the  hospital 
for  medical  aid,  while  14,500  patients  were  treated 
in  the  hospital  wards.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  find 
persons  from  more  than  a hundred  different  villages 
among  the  hospital  patients  of  a single  day.  Some 
of  the  patients  are  brought  to  the  hospitals  on  house- 
boats that  ply  up  and  down  the  Jhelum  River  and 
through  a maze  of  intersecting  canals. 

It  is  a pathetic  line  of  humanity  that  daily  makes 
its  way  up  that  hill  of  hope,  and  waits  under  the 
shade  of  the  trees  until  the  doors  of  the  hospital 
are  opened.  Some  are  carried  in  beds  or  chairs. 
Others  climb  the  steep  in  pain.  When  the  doors 
are  opened,  the  waiting-room  is  soon  packed  with 
sufferers.  The  babel  of  voices  subsides  as  the  doc- 
tor appears  and  reads  a story  from  the  Gospels 
which  he  afterward  explains.  A brief  prayer  fol- 
lows, after  which  the  medical  and  surgical  work 
begins.  The  doctors,  nurses,  and  thirty  assistants 
deal  as  effectively  as  possible  with  all  who  come. 
As  many  as  seventy  operations,  of  varying  degrees 
of  difficulty,  have  been  performed  in  a day,  and  as 
many  as  four  hundred  ordinary  patients  have  been 
treated  in  the  same  period.  There  is  also  a hospital 
for  lepers,  with  an  average  of  ninety  inmates,  where 
everything  possible  is  done  for  their  comfort,  and 
where  they  are  given  the  consoling  teachings  of  the 


SOME  OF  THE  PATIENTS  ARE  BROUGHT  TO  THE  HOSPITAL  ON  HOUSE-BOATS  THAT  PLY  UP  AND 
DOWN  TPIE  JPIELUM  RIVER  AND  THROUGH  A MAZE  OF  INTERSECTING  CANALS.” 


THE  NEVES  OF  KASHMIR 


217 


Savior  concerning  the  life  beyond.  This  leper  hos- 
pital is  largely  supported  by  the  Maharajah.  The 
medical  missionaries  are  glad  to  give  their  services 
in  this  attempt  to  furnish  comfort  and  cheer  to 
sufferers  from  such  a dreadful  malady.  Much,  too, 
is  being  done  to  stop  the  spread  of  this  disease. 

Although  the  work  was  begun  in  the  face  of  ex- 
treme opposition,  even  the  Moslems,  who  are 
usually  fanatical  in  their  attitude  in  other  parts  of 
India  and  elsewhere,  now  are  friendly  around  Srin- 
agar and  speak  in  such  words  as  these : “ Your  re- 
ligion, Sahib,  is  really  the  same  as  ours.  You 
have  the  Law  and  the  Gospel,  which  we  also  ac- 
knowledge, and  we  read  the  creed  of  the  Holy 
Jesus.” 

But  prejudice  is  strong  against  a change  in  re- 
ligion. Nevertheless,  the  leaven  is  at  work.  In  one 
year  the  gospel  was  preached  by  members  of  the 
mission  staff  in  as  many  as  fifty  villages  around 
Srinagar,  and  there  were  few  towns  that  had  not 
sent  patients  to  the  hospital.  The  missionaries  be- 
lieved in  “ the  policy  of  having  well-manned,  ade- 
quately equipped  institutions.”  They  wrote  to  their 
Board : “ In  the  long  run,  such  work  not  only  goes 
deeper,  but  spreads  wider  than  an  equal  amount  of 
effort  expended  in  a desultory  manner  over  the 
whole  Kashmir  territory  of  68,000  square  miles.” 

May  many  years  be  added  to  the  fine  record  of 


2l8 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


the  two  brothers  and  their  sister,  in  their  labor  of 
love  for  an  unprogressive  people  in  one  of  earth’s 
most  beautiful  regions.  The  Kingdom  of  Christ 
on  earth  is  hastened  by  the  work  of  three  such 
devoted  disciples. 


X 

JOHN  SCUDDER 


m 


Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  Reformed  Church  in  A nerica. 

DR.  AND  MRS.  JOHN  SCUDDER 
OF  INDIA. 


“there  IS  NO  IT.ACE  LIKE  INDIA.  IT  IS  NEARER  HEAVEN 
THAN  AMERICA.” 


X 


JOHN  SCUDDER 

TT  is  always  interesting  to  discover  the  fountain 
head  of  a great  stream,  hidden  perhaps  in  a 
glacier  far  up  on  a mountainside.  Likewise,  there 
is  profit  in  tracing  any  large  and  helpful  movement 
of  modern  times  to  its  origin.  To-day  medical  mis- 
sionaries, on  errands  on  healing  for  body  and  soul, 
are  found  in  every  clime,  and  their  name  is  legion. 
Where  and  when,  in  human  history,  did  this  great 
and  beneficent  mission  have  its  beginning? 

We  can  be  sure  that  the  name  of  the  first  medical 
missionary  in  the  modern  movement  was  John.  But 
was  it  John  Thomas,  John  Vanderkemp,  or  John 
Scudder?  John  Thomas,  a ship’s  doctor,  had  left 
his  vessel  at  Calcutta,  for  the  purpose  of  preaching 
the  gospel  to  the  people  of  India,  some  years  before 
William  Carey  began  his  work.  Then  John  Vander- 
kemp, of  Holland,  a physician  of  considerable  rep- 
utation, who  had  been  living  in  retirement  for 
several  years,  was  appointed  in  1798  by  the  Mission- 
ary Society  in  London,  for  services  in  South  Africa. 
But  in  the  case  of  neither  John  Thomas  nor  John 


221 


222 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Vanderkemp  did  a knowledge  of  medicine  appear  to 
have  influenced  the  appointing  Society.  Nor  is 
there  evidence  that  either  man  was  expected  to  use 
his  medical  skill  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  mis- 
sionary. It  seems  clear  that  each  one  of  these  men 
considered  he  had  turned  aside  from  medical  work, 
in  order  to  preach  the  gospel.  Each,  however,  may 
have  practised  medicine  and  surgery  incidentally,  as 
circumstances  required.  But  it  appears  that  John 
Scudder  was  the  first  missionary  ever  appointed  be- 
cause of  his  training  as  a physician,  as  well  as  be- 
cause of  his  desire  to  proclaim  the  gospel. 

The  American  Board  of  Commissioners  of  For- 
eign Missions  had  been  in  existence  only  a few 
years,  when  it  realized  the  importance  of  sending 
out  men  who  could  follow  Christ’s  example  in  heal- 
ing the  sick.  Accordingly,  the  Board  advertised  for 
one  who  could  qualify  both  as  an  evangelist  and  as 
a physician,  for  work  in  Ceylon.  The  appeal  was 
read  by  Dr.  John  Scudder,  a prosperous  physician 
of  New  York  City,  whose  missionary  enthusiasm 
was  already  at  white  heat  from  having  read  a leaf- 
let shown  him  by  one  of  his  patients.  The  leaflet 
was  entitled  “ The  Conversion  of  the  World,  or  the 
Claims  of  Six  Hundred  Millions.” 

This  unexpected  appeal  for  the  dedication  of  his 
knowledge  of  medicine  and  surgery  came  to  a man 
who  from  boyhood  had  been  sensitive  to  the  whis- 


JOHN  SCUDDER 


223 


perings  of  duty.  The  parents  had  dedicated  John 
Scudder  to  God  a few  months  after  his  birth,  on 
September  3,  1793,  at  Freehold,  New  Jersey.  The 
father,  Joseph  Scudder,  was  a lawyer  of  repute  and 
a gentleman  of  the  old  school.  The  mother,  Maria 
Scudder,  was  a woman  of  exceptional  culture,  piety, 
and  winsomeness,  whose  family  had  made  a gallant 
record  in  Revolutionary  days.  His  mother’s  Chris- 
tian character  and  the  sturdy  qualities  of  his  grand- 
father were  perpetuated  in  the  child.  As  a lad,  John 
Scudder  would  run  about  the  streets  of  Freehold, 
gathering  sticks  for  the  fires  of  the  poor.  Once, 
when  tugging  at  a heavy  piece  of  wood,  some  one 
called  to  him,  “ John,  what  are  you  going  to  do 
with  that?”  He  replied,  “I  am  taking  it  to  Miss 
Becky,  who  has  no  fire.” 

At  Princeton  College,  young  Scudder  had  mani- 
fested deep  interest  in  the  conversion  of  his  fellow- 
students.  He  wished  to  enter  the  Christian  minis- 
try, but  his  father  objected,  and  he  therefore  de- 
cided in  favor  of  medicine  rather  than  law.  In  time, 
he  was  graduated  from  the  New  York  Medical  Col- 
lege, and  he  secured  considerable  professional  train- 
ing as  resident  physician  at  the  Almshouse.  This 
was  followed  by  a few  years  given  to  general  prac- 
tise. Such  was  the  preparation  of  the  man  who  read 
the  advertisement  of  the  American  Board.  Indeed, 
he  had  been  yearning  for  an  opportunity  to  serve 


224 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Christ  in  foreign  lands,  and  the  need  in  Ceylon  ap- 
peared to  be  a providential  opening. 

There  were  difficulties  to  be  met.  He  had  married 
a lovely  young  woman  who  probably  had  never 
given  a thought  to  missionary  service.  In  time, 
however,  she  responded  nobly  to  the  plan  which  so 
engrossed  her  husband.  Some  of  his  friends  de- 
clared he  was  insane  to  think  of  leaving  his  estab- 
lished practise  in  New  York  to  devote  his  life  to 
“ the  heathen.”  A little  daughter,  two  years  of  age, 
had  to  be  considered,  also;  nevertheless,  he  offered 
himself  and  was  accepted  by  the  American  Board, 
under  whose  auspices  he  served  until  his  own  de- 
nomination, the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  organized 
its  foreign  mission  work. 

Preparations  were  presently  made  for  sailing.  A 
faithful  colored  servant,  Amy,  refused  to  be  sep- 
arated from  the  family.  When  told  of  the  hard- 
ships of  missionary  life,  she  was  quite  unmoved, 
and  she  pleaded  to  be  permitted  to  go  with  them. 
By  a special  arrangement  with  the  Board,  this  de- 
voted woman  sailed  with  the  first  medical  missionary 
family  leaving  American  shores,  and  for  many  years 
she  rendered  valuable  service  in  the  Scudder  home 
in  India. 

A farewell  to  missionaries  was  not  so  common  a 
hundred  years  ago  as  it  is  to-day,  when  thousands  of 
them  are  sailing  every  year.  When  Dr.  and  Mrs. 


JOHN  SCUDDER 


225 


Scudder  left  for  Ceylon,  it  was  not  the  plan  of 
Mission  Boards  to  allow  furloughs,  and  those  who 
left  America  on  such  errands  expected  never  to  re- 
turn to  their  native  shores.  Naturally,  those  who 
gathered  in  New  York,  at  the  Fulton  Street  wharf, 
to  bid  adieu  to  the  party  leaving  for  Boston,  from 
which  port  they  were  to  sail,  were  deeply  moved. 
A young  Christian  merchant  who  witnessed  the 
event  wrote  in  his  diary  as  follows : 

“ This  morning  I saw  a missionary  and  his  wife 
take  their  departure  for  India.  I had  the  pleasure 
of  being  introduced  to  them.  Dr.  Scudder  appeared 
cheerful,  Mrs.  Scudder  was  bathed  in  tears,  but  yet 
rejoicing.  They  were  surrounded  by  many  friends, 
and  we  can  with  difficulty  imagine  their  feelings  as 
one  and  another  said,  ‘ My  friends  and  sister,  fare- 
well forever.’  I shall  never  forget  Dr.  Scudder’s 
look  nor  his  words.  His  eye  kindled  and  his  cheeks 
glowed  with  ardor.  As  the  vessel  moved  off,  wav- 
ing his  hand,  with  a benignant  smile  on  his  counte- 
nance, he  said,  “ Only  give  me  your  prayers,  that  is 
all  I ask.’  ” 

The  young  merchant  was  so  deeply  moved  by 
what  he  had  seen,  that  he  gave  up  his  business  to 
enter  Princeton  to  prepare  himself  for  missionary 
work.  Unfortunately,  he  died  before  completing 
his  preparation. 

Besides  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Scudder,  little  two-year-old 


226 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


Maria,  and  black  Amy,  three  other  missionary 
families — Messrs.  Winslow,  Spaulding  and  Wood- 
ward and  their  wives, — sailed  from  Boston  on  June 
8,  1819,  on  the  brig  Indus.  The  ship  was  com- 
manded by  a stalwart  Christian,  Captain  Wills,  who 
“ put  the  whole  ship  at  their  command,  as  a floating 
Bethel.”  On  Sunday  morning  there  was  public  wor- 
ship in  the  cabin,  and  afternoon  services  were  held 
on  deck.  Morning  and  evening  prayers  were  con- 
ducted daily.  A conference  was  held  every  Thurs- 
day evening,  a prayer-meeting  once  a month,  and  a 
theological  class  every  afternoon.  In  private  rooms 
there  were  numerous  services  of  prayer.  It  was  not 
expected  that  the  seamen  would  find  delight  in  the 
passenger-list  of  the  Indus  on  this  voyage,  for  such 
a program  of  meetings  on  a steamship  in  these  days 
would  not  be  suggested  by  the  boldest  of  travelers. 
But  very  soon  the  seamen  began  to  ask,  “ What 
shall  we  do  to  be  saved  ? ” and  presently  a revival 
of  religion  was  experienced  aboard  ship. 

The  officers  and  sailors  attended  some  of  the 
meetings  and  showed  a deep  personal  concern.  Be- 
fore the  sailing-vessel  completed  its  four  months’ 
voyage,  the  first  and  second  officers  of  the  ship,  the 
clerk,  the  cook,  the  steward,  the  carpenter,  and  most 
of  the  seamen  had  signified  their  acceptance  of 
Christ.  Dr.  Scudder  wrote  his  mother : “ I believe 
there  was  not  a thoughtless  sinner  on  board  ..  . 


>3 


JOHN  SCUDDER 


227 


I have  been  in  revivals  of  religion  at  home,  but 
never  did  I see  such  manifestations  of  divine  power.” 
To  him  it  was  a matter  for  deep  satisfaction. 

For  some  reason,  probably  unfavorable  winds, 
Captain  Wills  was  unable  to  take  his  vessel  to  Cey- 
lon direct,  so  the  entire  party  landed  first  at  Cal- 
cutta, where  the  luxuriance  and  freshness  of  the 
vegetation  fascinated  the  passengers  who,  for  four 
months,  had  seen  little  besides  sky  and  sea.  From 
the  deck  of  the  Indus,  ascending  the  River  Hugh, 
the  missionary  party  looked  upon  the  native’s  bam- 
boo huts  in  the  midst  of  palm  trees,  cocoanut  groves, 
and  the  spreading  banyan.  However,  their  eyes  fell 
on  other  scenes  as  well, — on  some  that  revealed  the 
need  for  their  mission  to  India.  Of  such  scenes  one 
of  the  party  wrote : 

“ Soon  after  the  ship  anchored,  we  saw  on  the 
shore,  directly  opposite  to  us,  great  multitudes  ap- 
proaching the  water,  with  a horrid  din  of  music, 
carrying  their  gods  to  throw  them  into  the  stream. 
We  could  discern  nothing  of  their  appearance  but 
that  they  were  the  size  of  a common  man,  and  about 
the  waist  were  painted  black.  They  were  held  over 
the  water  some  minutes,  while  the  noise  of  various 
musical  instruments  continued,  and  then  plunged  in, 
to  float  down  with  the  current.  This  drowning,  or 
bathing,  ceremony  of  the  gods  is  an  important  cere- 
mony among  the  Hindus.” 


228 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


While  waiting  at  Calcutta  for  a ship  going  to 
Ceylon,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Scudder  formed  the  acquaint- 
ance of  William  Carey  and  other  missionaries. 
Here,  too,  came  the  first  severe  trial  of  their  lives. 
Little  Maria  died  after  an  illness  of  only  three  days. 
Three  months  later,  in  Jaffna,  a similar  affliction 
overtook  them  in  the  death  of  a babe  only  seven 
days  old. 

Ceylon  is  one  of  the  rich  gems  of  the  Orient.  The 
great  island  is  beautiful  in  its  wealth  of  cinnamon 
groves,  cocoanut  forests,  palms,  and  rice  fields.  Dr. 
Scudder  found  in  Ceylon  a population  of  about  a 
million  souls,  composed  chiefly  of  Cingalese  in  the 
interior  and  southern  sections,  and  Tamils  in  the 
northern  and  eastern  districts.  The  Cingalese  are 
Buddhists;  the  Tamils  are  Brahmins  or  Hindus. 
The  new  medical  missionary  family  was  sent  to 
Panditeripo,  in  the  Jaffna  district,  the  extreme 
northern  point  of  Ceylon,  where  deserted  posts,  once 
occupied  by  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  from 
Portugal,  offered  excellent  opportunity  for  work. 
In  July,  1820,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Scudder  settled  at 
Panditeripo  and  began  at  once  to  repair  the  dilapid- 
ated properties  that  had  been  abandoned  by  the 
Portuguese. 

Although  appointed  as  a medical  missionary,  Dr. 
Scudder  was  zealous  in  preaching  the  gospel.  He 
had  studied  theology  aboard  the  Indus  and,  im- 


JOHN  SCUDDER 


229 


mediately  upon  acquiring  some  knowledge  of  the 
language  of  the  people,  he  began  to  preach  to  them. 
In  May,  1821,  he  was  ordained  to  the  gospel  minis- 
try. 

The  utter  degradation  of  the  people  of  Ceylon 
appalled  him,  and  at  times  it  was  difficult  to  assure 
his  soul  that  they  could  experience  spiritual  regen- 
eration. He  wrote  home,  “ Were  it  not  for  the  hope 
that  the  day  is  approaching  when  the  heathen  shall 
be  given  to  the  Lord  for  his  inheritance,  and  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  His  possession,  my 
heart  would  sink  within  me.”  Yet  still  he  toiled  on, 
undismayed. 

It  can  be  easily  understood  how  one  holding  such 
intense  convictions  would  feel  that  every  hour  must 
be  given  to  the  proclamation  of  the  gospel.  Yet 
time  was  needed  for  his  medical  work.  Early  every 
morning  he  prescribed  for  the  sick.  The  only  physi- 
cian in  a great  area,  the  people  came  to  him  in  large 
numbers,  when  his  skill  became  known.  Surgical 
operations  seemed  miraculous  to  the  people  of  Cey- 
lon, and  when  they  saw  Dr.  Scudder  use  the  knife 
with  such  marvelous  results,  they  sometimes  pro- 
claimed him  superior  in  healing  power  to  their 
greatest  divinity.  He  regarded  his  medical  work 
as  a means  to  a greater  end,  and  all  who  came  to  him 
heard  him  pray  and  tell  of  One  who  came  to  save 
them  from  eternal  pain  and  misery  worse  than  phy- 


230 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


sical  illness.  Tracts  were  given  to  all  who  could 
read. 

Dr.  Scudder  was  not  satisfied  to  reach  only  those 
who  came  to  him.  He  went  from  house  to  house  for 
personal  conversation.  He  undertook  tours  into 
country  districts,  preaching  as  he  went,  and  always 
carrying  medicines  and  surgical  instruments  in  order 
to  help  the  suffering.  He  journeyed  through  areas 
infested  with  dangerous  wild  animals  and  serpents, 
yet  he  never  was  molested.  He  seemed  to  be 
divinely  protected.  Occasionally  he  was  stoned 
or  ridiculed,  but  not  often.  Usually  the  people 
welcomed  him.  Along  the  wayside  he  told  farm- 
ers, fishermen,  carpenters,  and  beggars,  as  they 
followed  their  various  occupations,  of  the  love  of 
God  revealed  through  Christ.  He  was  a constant 
and  a hard  worker.  “ Eternity  will  be  long  enough 
to  rest  in,”  was  one  of  his  sayings.  He  was 
burning  out  his  life,  but  he  fed  a flame  whose 
light  will  fall  on  human  paths  for  generations  yet 
unborn.  And  in  the  midst  of  all  his  activity,  he 
found  time  for  unhurried  periods  of  prayer,  Bible 
study,  meditation,  and  praise.  Fully  two  and  a 
half  hours  every  day  were  given  to  such  periods, 
and  every  Friday  the  entire  morning  was  devoted 
to  fasting  and  prayer.  We,  who  live  in  a day  of 
vaunted  “ efficiency,”  may  be  failing  even  to  ap- 
proach in  usefulness  the  men  who  found  strength  by 


Courtesy  of  Mrs.  W . 1.  Chamberlain. 

DR.  IDA  S.  SCUDDER,  OF  VELLORE,  INDIA,  GRANDDAUGHTER  OF  DR.  JOHN  SCUDDER,  MOTORING 
THROUGH  VILLAGES,  WITH  A BIBLE  WOMAN  AND  A MEDICAL  ASSISTANT. 


JOHN  SCUDDER 


231 


frequent  prayer.  Their  lives  were  charged  afresh 
with  divine  energy.  Perhaps  the  “ old-school  mis- 
sionary ” was  wiser  than  those  who  follow  him. 

Mrs.  Scudder,  also,  became  a missionary  of  the 
noblest  type.  Despite  the  care  of  her  family,  she 
assisted  in  the  schools,  taught  the  women  to  sew, 
visited  the  homes,  took  charge  of  the  entire  mission 
in  the  doctor’s  absence,  and  furnished  a large  meas- 
ure of  the  inspiration  that  made  their  household  one 
of  the  most  notable  in  the  annals  of  missions. 
Meanwhile,  old  black  Amy  was  a constant  comfort 
to  all  in  the  house.  Perhaps  her  labor  as  an  un- 
assuming servant  made  it  possible  for  this  home  to 
be  maintained  so  long  in  the  Orient,  and  under  con- 
ditions so  favorable  to  its  far-reaching  usefulness. 
She,  also,  must  be  counted  as  a missionary,  possibly 
the  first  of  her  race. 

With  the  same  unbounded  zeal  which  took  him 
to  the  mission  field,  Dr.  Scudder  undertook  to  do 
far  more  than  was  safe  for  any  white  man  living 
in  the  tropics;  and  during  his  early  years  in  Ceylon 
he  made  long  tours  on  foot  that  prostrated  and 
weakened  him  to  such  an  extent  that  he  never  fully 
recovered.  By  the  autumn  of  1829  it  was  evident 
that  his  condition  required  rest  and  a change  of 
climate.  He  was  finally  induced  to  go  to  the  moun- 
tains on  the  west  coast  of  India.  Just  before  he 
left  his  station,  forty-one  persons  united  with  the 


-32 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


church,  which  gladdened  his  heart  as  he  started  in 
quest  of  health. 

When  Mrs.  Scudder  saw  how  the  work  at  Pande- 
teripo  would  suffer  if  no  missionary  remained  to 
give  it  attention,  she  bravely  decided  to  remain  there, 
although  she  shrank  from  the  thought  of  living 
there  alone.  Almost  a year  later  the  doctor  re- 
turned, improved  in  health,  but  not  entirely  re- 
covered. While  on  his  visit  to  continental  India, 
he  was  impressed  with  the  vastness  of  that  field,  and 
in  a few  years  he  and  the  Rev.  Myron  Winslow 
were  allowed  by  their  Board  to  locate  at  Madras  and 
establish  work  in  that  great  city.  Madras  is  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north  of  the  Jaffna 
district,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Peninsular  India. 
It  has  been  the  scene  of  many  stirring  events  in 
other  days,  and  was  a meeting-point  for  Oriental 
splendor  and  British  commercial  and  military  life. 
This  appealed  to  Dr.  Scudder  as  a great  base  for 
missionary  activity,  with  the  almost  countless  towns 
and  villages  adjacent  and  easily  accessible.  Here 
he  began  work  of  a new  kind. 

He  early  recognized  the  importance  of  Christian 
literature  as  a Christianizing  agency,  and  Dr.  Scud- 
der’s  letters  indicate  that  his  chief  aim  in  going  to 
Madras  was  to  establish  a press  for  the  purpose  of 
printing  the  Bible  and  general  Christian  literature 
for  distribution,  in  large  quantities,  among  the  Tamil 


JOHN  SCUDDER 


233 


people.  But  he  was  not  satisfied  to  stay  in  Madras 
all  the  time.  He  traveled  among  the  villages, 
preaching  and  distributing  literature,  with  the  help 
of  native  assistants;  and  though  he  was  sometimes 
welcomed,  there  were  occasions  when  he  was  treated 
with  scant  courtesy.  Of  one  of  these  tours  he 
wrote  to  his  father : “ I was  not  long  since  stoned, 
and  the  soreness  of  the  bruises  continued  for  some 
time.  We  should  soon  be  torn  to  pieces,  could  the 
desire  of  many  be  gratified.”  On  one  of  his  jour- 
neys he  gave  away  eight  thousand  bound  volumes 
of  tracts  and  five  or  six  thousand  copies  of  the 
Gospels. 

At  this  period,  his  letters  seldom  referred  to  his 
medical  work.  Here,  as  in  Ceylon,  the  idolatry  of 
the  people  oppressed  him,  and  it  was  his  great  con- 
cern to  point  them  to  the  “ Image  of  the  Invisible 
God.”  In  earlier  years  he  had  asked  sun-worshipers 
why  they  offered  rice  to  the  sun.  One  man  replied, 
“ The  sun  is  a witness  of  God,  therefore  we  offer 
him  rice.”  Another  devotee  said  they  worshiped 
the  sun  because  they  could  not  see  God,  and  added  : 
“ Suppose  my  child  was  sick.  If  I should  come  here 
to  tell  you  of  it,  and  if  I could  not  see  you,  but 
could  see  that  young  man  [meaning  the  one  studying 
medicine  with  Dr.  Scudder],  I would  tell  him.” 
The  people  sometimes  believed  the  missionary  to  be 
worshiping  a book,  rather  than  the  God  who  in- 


23  4 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


spired  it,  since  he  used  it  so  frequently  in  the  public 
services. 

Once,  when  journeying  through  forests  and  jun- 
gles, he  was  attacked  by  jungle  fever  and  his  death 
seemed  imminent.  His  wife  was  urged  to  travel 
day  and  night  if  she  wished  see  him  alive.  Accom- 
panied by  her  little  son  and  native  porters,  Mrs. 
Scudder  began  the  perilous  journey.  Of  this  trip 
a friend  wrote : 

“ In  the  worst  part  of  the  jungle  road,  as  night 
drew  on,  the  bearers  became  intimidated  at  the  sound 
of  wild  beasts  roaring  after  their  prey,  and  suddenly 
fled,  leaving  Mrs.  Scudder  and  her  little  one  exposed 
to  the  most  horrid  death,  and  with  none  to  protect 
them  but  Daniel’s  God.  What  could  she  do  ? There 
was  but  one  thing.  She  held  her  little  one  by  the 
hand  and  spent  that  night  on  her  knees  in  prayer. 
She  heard  the  heavy  tread  of  wild  elephants,  which 
could  have  trampled  her  and  her  little  one  to  death. 
Then  came  the  growl  of  tigers  and  other  ravenous 
beasts,  the  sound  approaching  and  then  receding. 
They  seemed  to  be  circling  around  the  little  spot 
where  she  knelt,  ready  to  spring  upon  their  prey. 
But  God  . . . sent  his  angels  in  answer  to  prayer 
to  guard  these,  his  dear  ones,  from  the  death  they 
dreaded.  So  they  passed  the  night.  Morning  came, 
and  the  cowardly  bearers  returned  and  resumed 
their  burden.” 


JOHN  SCUDDER 


235 


Mrs.  Scudder  found  that  her  husband’s  life  had 
been  saved,  but  his  health  was  shattered.  He  was 
urged  to  return  to  America  for  a season,  but  he  in- 
sisted on  remaining  in  India,  although  he  had 
served  for  nearly  a quarter  of  a century  in  that 
trying  climate.  Soon  after  reaching  Ceylon,  in 
1820,  he  wrote  to  his  parents,  “ True  it  is  I long  to 
see  you,  but  this  can  never  again  be  the  case;  oh,  no; 
we  must  dispense  with  this  pleasure  until  we  meet 
in  the  great  day  of  account.”  Nevertheless,  he  was 
finally  compelled  to  yield  to  the  judgment  of  physi- 
cians and  leave  India  for  several  years. 

Broken  in  health,  he  was  not  easily  associated 
with  the  athletic  young  figure  who,  twenty-three 
years  before,  waved  farewell  to  his  friends  in  Amer- 
ica. Still,  he  was  unwilling  to  retire  to  some  quiet 
spot  for  recuperation.  If  he  had  only  a few  years 
left,  he  felt  he  must  do  all  in  his  power  to  rouse  the 
next  generation  of  Christians  to  a sense  of  obliga- 
tion to  the  non-Christian  world.  He  found  the 
adult  Christians  of  that  day  indifferent  to  his  mes- 
sage ; he  traveled  many  miles,  during  his  three  years 
or  more  at  home,  addressing  young  people’s  meet- 
ings and  talking  personally  to  boys  and  girls.  In 
later  years,  it  was  not  at  all  uncommon  for  a mis- 
sionary candidate,  meeting  the  Board,  to  relate  that 
his  first  impressions  of  foreign  missions  were  re- 
ceived in  one  of  Dr.  Scudder’s  meetings.  It  is 


236 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


estimated  that  he  reached  a hundred  thousand  chil- 
dren with  his  messages.  He  addressed  students 
wherever  the  door  was  opened  for  him,  his  visit 
to  Mt.  Holyoke  Female  Seminary  being  of  special 
significance.  This  institution,  now  Mt.  Holyoke 
College,  has,  for  many  years,  been  a power  in  the 
mission  field. 

Meanwhile  Dr.  Scudder’s  own  family  was  being 
trained  in  the  same  ways.  He  had  ten  children  and 
all  of  them  volunteered  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of 
their  parents.  With  the  exception  of  a son  who  died 
at  school  before  receiving  his  appointment,  and  the 
four  little  ones  buried  in  India,  all  the  members  of 
the  family  were  enrolled  as  foreign  missionaries,  a 
remarkable  and  an  unparalleled  record. 

While  at  home  Dr.  Scudder  would  sometimes  ex- 
claim, “ There  is  no  place  like  India.  It  is  nearer 
heaven  than  America.”  He  was  glad,  therefore, 
when  he  was  permitted,  in  1845,  to  sail  for  Madras. 
He  appeared  to  realize  that  his  time  was  short,  yet 
he  spent  himself  and  his  waning  strength  in  his  usual 
lavish  way.  He  preached,  and  prayed,  and  prepared 
literature,  and  was  a valued  adviser  to  the  younger 
missionaries.  His  enlarged  acquaintance  in  Amer- 
ica called  for  a vast  correspondence  and  for  contri- 
butions to  religious  papers.  At  the  same  time,  his 
letters  show  that  he  kept  up  his  medical  work  during 
the  last  years  of  his  life,  when  he  was  living  at 


JOHN  SCUDDER 


237 


Madura,  to  which  station  he  was  transferred  soon 
after  his  return  from  America.  It  will  sound 
strange  to  missionaries  of  this  day  to  be  told  that 
Dr.  Scudder’s  published  letters  make  no  reference 
to  either  a dispensary  or  a hospital,  nor  is  it  ap- 
parent that  he  asked  for  such  equipment.  Like 
others  of  his  day,  medical  work  with  him  seemed  to 
have  been  more  or  less  incidental,  and  was  con- 
sidered as  largely  an  aid  to  his  program  of  direct 
evangelistic  effort. 

Dr.  Scudder's  work  could  not  fail  to  attract  the 
attention  of  those  in  power,  and  he  received  signal 
honors  from  those  to  whom  he  made  gifts  of  Chris- 
tian books.  At  the  same  time,  the  native  physicians 
of  Madura,  angered  because  the  people  flocked  to 
the  medical  missionary  for  help,  thus  reducing  their 
gains,  resorted  to  witchcraft,  in  the  hope  of  destroy- 
ing Dr.  Scudder’s  life. 

Although  the  visit  to  America  did  him  much  good, 
Dr.  Scudder’s  health  was  never  fully  restored.  He 
grew  weaker  after  returning  to  India.  His  journal 
reveals  his  feeling  as  his  eyesight  began  to  fail : 
“ My  eyesight  has  begun  to  fail,  but,  though  I 
should  become  blind,  if  spared,  I trust  that  I shall 
be  able  to  preach.  My  voice  is  good,  and  though, 
under  equal  circumstances,  I should  much  prefer 
losing  my  voice  to  my  eyesight,  still,  under  my  cir- 
cumstances, I would  sooner  lose  my  eyesight  than 


238 


MINISTERS  OF  MERCY 


my  voice.  I could  do  nothing  without  the  latter.” 
To  the  last,  he  had  a passion  for  preaching  the 
gospel. 

With  failing  eyesight  came  a greater  grief, — the 
death  of  his  wife,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly  devoted. 
Shortly  before  her  death  she  confessed  that  her  con- 
stant prayer  had  been  that  all  her  children  might 
witness  for  Christ  in  India.  How  her  prayers  were 
answered  is  well  known.  The  husband’s  grief  was 
almost  unbearable,  but  he  sought  and  found  consola- 
tion in  the  Unseen.  Then  came  letters  from  Amer- 
ica announcing  that,  two  days  after  his  wife’s  death, 
his  son  Samuel  had  passed  away  at  the  Theological 
Seminary  in  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey. 

The  double  blow  which  had  fallen  on  his  heart 
was  greater  than  his  soul,  in  its  weakened  tenement, 
could  bear;  and  friends  saw  that  the  sunset  hour 
was  approaching.  A sea  voyage  was  suggested,  and 
he  sailed,  with  his  son  Joseph,  for  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  where  he  landed,  in  November,  1854. 
The  voyage  did  him  good,  but  only  for  a time.  On 
January  13,  1855,  he  lay  down  to  rest  before  at- 
tempting to  speak  at  a service  that  had  been  ar- 
ranged. He  fell  asleep  quietly  and  met  his  Lord. 

His  body  was  given  burial  in  South  Africa.  A 
few  years  later  the  remains  were  given  a final  rest- 
ing-place by  the  side  of  his  wife  in  India.  The 
animating  desires  of  their  souls  were  to  live  again 


JOHN  SCUDDER 


239 


in  the  missionary  lives  of  all  their  children  and  their 
grandchildren.  On  the  one  hundredth  anniversary 
of  their  sailing  for  India,  fully  a score  of  their 
descendants  had  responded  to  the  Great  Commission. 

It  has  been  computed  that,  if  the  missionary  ser- 
vice of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Scudder  and  their  descendants 
were  computed  in  years,  it  would  cover  more  than 
eight  hundred  years.  No  less  than  thirty-one 
of  their  descendants  have  labored  in  India,  and 
seven  other  descendants  have  labored  in  other  for- 
eign fields.  This  makes  a noble  and  distinguished 
record. 

And  what  shall  be  said  of  those  who  follow  in 
his  train?  To-day  more  than  a thousand  medical 
missionaries  and  over  five  hundred  missionary 
nurses  are  conducting  nearly  seven  hundred  hospitals 
and  more  than  twelve  hundred  dispensaries  in  earth’s 
most  needy  lands.  These  servants  of  God  are  offer- 
ing relief  to  millions  of  suffering  men  and  women 
every  year  and  are  pointing  them  to  the  Great  Physi- 
cian as  one  who  can  meet  the  needs  of  their  souls. 

“ He  welcomed  them,  and  spake  to  them  of  tlie 
Kingdom  of  God,  and  them  that  had  need  of 
healing  he  cured.” 


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